Fang Zilan took a step back, and Ouyang Zirou jumped into the air, stepped forward and said hurriedly: "Master Fang..."
"Don't be anxious, tell me slowly if you have something to do." Fang Zilan raised her hand and patted Ouyang Zirou on the back, while calming her down and said: "I heard about Huangfuxin's break-up of the engagement. Now that the matter is over, the rumors are It's inevitable, but Mrs. Ouyang won't lock you up, right?"
"It's not my business." Ouyang Zirou waved her hand, looking anxious, "It's Zitong!"
"Miss Fang Er?" Fang Zilan put down her hand and shrugged indifferently, "Why, she is going to marry Mr. Pei Xiaoze?"
"No." Ouyang Zirou's face turned pale, and he whispered in her ear: "Zitong is going to marry Lord Guo Guo as his stepmother."
Fang Zilan was stunned for a long time and then said: "Zi Rou, who did you hear this? It's impossible..."
"It's what Zitong said herself." Seeing that she didn't believe it, Ouyang Zirou hurriedly explained: "Last night at Xiangsheng Restaurant, I saw Zitong entering the Pei family's boat. I was worried and went to look for her. I found her. At that time, she stumbled around and refused to say anything. It wasn't until I pushed her into a hurry that she told me..."
She didn't say anything further, and Fang Zilan's heart tightened, "Did Duke Guo Guo coerce her?"
"I don't think so." Ouyang Zirou shook her head, "Zitong has a soft-tempered temperament. If she is coerced by others, she would rather break her body than let him succeed."
"Is that voluntary?" Fang Zilan frowned, and Ouyang Zirou bit her lips, "But when I saw Zitong's appearance last night..."
There was a hint of bitterness in her voice as she said, "But my parents were angry with me because of the Huangfu family's divorce, so they confined me here, and I was not allowed to leave the room even half a step. Mr. Fang, please treat it as my begging, Can you go check on Zitong for me?"
"Don't worry yet." Fang Zilan sorted out the chaotic thoughts and analyzed: "Even if Second Miss Fang is determined to marry Duke Guo Guo as his stepmother, the Prime Minister may not agree. He has been in the officialdom for many years, and has I have always loved my children, and I would never let Miss Fang do whatever she wants."
"I know that the Prime Minister will not sit idly by, but when a man and a woman marry, it is the woman who suffers most. I'm afraid..." Ouyang Zirou was so anxious that she was about to cry. Fang Zilan could only nod and said: "I promise you, later. I will go to the Prime Minister’s Mansion for a visit.”
"Thank you, Mr. Fang!" Ouyang Zirou bowed respectfully, and then, as if remembering something, she patted her forehead and said, "Master Fang, please wait here for a moment. I have something, please bring it to Zitong, Mr. Fang. "
Fang Zilan hummed, and Ouyang Zirou turned around and went back to the room. After a while, he ran out and handed her the wooden box in his hand.
"What is this?" Fang Zilan weighed the wooden box. It was heavy, but it wasn't a big item. It shouldn't be difficult to take it out.
Ouyang Zirou's eyes fell on the wooden box and she whispered: "This is my newly made sleeve arrow. I originally planned to give it to Zitong as a congratulatory gift when she gets married, but now it seems that I won't be able to wait until that time."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Fang Zilan reached out and flicked her forehead and said with a smile: "Second Miss Fang has the prime minister to support her, and you have your parents to protect you, so you are far from risking your life. Now you are just married. It’s just that we haven’t arrived yet, there are good days to look forward to ahead of us, so don’t say anything depressing.”
Hearing this, Ouyang Zirou nodded, "Thank you, Master Fang. Zirou is very grateful..."
"Zirou." A voice as gentle as the spring breeze sounded, interrupting Ouyang Zirou's unfinished words. She pursed her lips and called her mother in a low voice.
Fang Zilan looked at the person who came, her demeanor was calm, gentle and picturesque, it was Mrs. Ouyang.
She bowed leisurely and said, "Ouyang Wei has met Mr. Fang."
Fang Zilan returned the gift and said, "Mrs. Ouyang is well."
"Master Fang entered the inner courtyard privately, but why was the reception not well received in the mansion?" Mrs. Ouyang smiled slightly, and Fang Zilan said without changing her expression: "The pavilions and pavilions in the mansion are exquisite and elegant. I was fascinated by them for a moment. I accidentally lost my way and entered by mistake. Here, thanks to Miss Ouyang's guidance, I'm ready to go back."
"I see, Master Fang, please come with me." Mrs. Ouyang stepped aside a little, and Fang Zilan walked straight to the front hall with the wooden box in her hands.
However, not long after she walked out of Ouyang Zirou's courtyard, she heard Mrs. Ouyang behind her say: "Master Fang, please stay. I have something I want to say to Master Fang."
Fang Zilan stopped and turned to look at Mrs. Ouyang. She stood there patiently waiting for a reply, without any urging or impatience.
After a while, Fang Zilan nodded thoughtfully and said, "Okay, Mrs. Ouyang just said it doesn't matter."
"Master Fang, please move a moment." Mrs. Ouyang raised her hand in a gesture of invitation. Fang Zilan followed her into the main room in the inner courtyard. She saw that she had dismissed the envoy, leaving only a nanny beside her.
"What does Mrs. Ouyang want to tell me?" Fang Zilan asked straight to the point, and Mrs. Ouyang was also unambiguous. "This wooden box was given to Mr. Fang by Zirou, right? I wonder what's in it?"
Fang Zilan calmed down and said: "Since Mrs. Ouyang knows that this is a gift from Zi Rou, then what I do with it and whether I should tell her or not is all my business."
Mrs. Ouyang suddenly smiled, "Master Fang, you don't have to be so wary. I am Zi Rou's mother, so of course I wish her well. I know she wants to stand in court like Master Fang, but I am blocking her in every possible way. I think in your eyes, I’m kind of a villain, right?”
"How Mrs. Ouyang treats Zirou, I dare not comment as an outsider." Fang Zilan said quietly: "This wooden box contains Zirou's newly made Xiujian. I wonder if what Mrs. Ouyang wants to say to me is related to Xiujian? "
"It's irrelevant, it's relevant." Mrs. Ouyang said slowly: "Mr. Fang is very straightforward. If I have something to say, I will say it directly. Zirou usually makes small gadgets such as sleeve arrows, which are very popular in the capital. This is not the case. It’s not a big deal. But if it involves armaments and government affairs, that’s another matter.”
She paused and her voice became a little deeper, "If something goes wrong with popular folk gadgets like the Xiujian, there is always room for remedy. To put it bluntly, it will hurt people's lives. As long as something goes wrong, Even if he is a civilian, the Ouyang family can take care of it. But if it involves military equipment, it is very involved. If something happens, not to mention Zirou's life, but also the entire Ouyang family may be blamed..."
Before she could finish her words, she heard a clang and the tea cup in Fang Zilan's hand fell to the ground and shattered.
"Sorry, my hands are slippery." Fang Zilan blinked innocently, and then said with a solemn expression: "I cannot agree with Mrs. Ouyang's words. In my eyes, human life has no value, and there is no difference between the lives of civilians and the lives of soldiers. What's more, I The soldiers of Dajing fought with blood in order to protect the people."
Mrs. Ouyang took a deep breath and said, "Master Fang is a person who kills on the battlefield, so he certainly doesn't understand how we women at home cherish our blessings and save our lives. In this case, I have nothing to say."
