Fang Zilan responded to Zhuge Yu's request and left him a position in the government office.
But she knew in her heart that the so-called reciprocation was just a casual remark made by Zhuge Yu, and she was afraid that he had already thought of following her. Whether it was Li Shengxuan's intention or his own plan, as long as he had this idea, she couldn't refuse.
Moreover, even if Zhuge Yu didn't speak, she secretly wanted to keep Zhuge Yu by her side.
After all, there are a lot of rules in the capital, both overt and covert. She is a newbie here and holds a high position, so she doesn't dare to make mistakes when she is on the cusp of the storm. With his clear-sighted and discerning side to help her, she can feel much more at ease. Moreover, with him as the matchmaker, I think those dignitaries would give her some face, so as not to embarrass her too much and damage Li Shengxuan's face.
On the first day that Fang Zilan took office, Zhuge Yu was waiting in front of the government office early, waiting for her to enter the government together. When she arrived, the two of them greeted her familiarly and entered the house one after another.
All the officials of the government, big and small, stood in the courtyard with a respectful and obedient look. Pei Xiaoze, who was temporarily in charge, had been waiting in the hall for a long time. He had a handsome face and straight official uniform. When he saw the two of them, he bowed and said: " Pei Xiaoze, the minister of household affairs, has seen Mr. Fang and Mr. Zhuge is well."
"Master Pei, please be well." Zhuge Yu returned the gift, and Fang Zilan signaled that the two of them did not need to be polite, then turned around and sat on the main seat, and said politely: "Previously, Southeast affairs have been represented by Master Pei, and it has been really hard for many years. I want to come to Southeast affairs. There is no one who is more knowledgeable and experienced than Mr. Pei. Now that His Majesty has ordered me to take over, I hope that Mr. Pei will not hesitate to give you some advice."
Pei Xiaoze waved his hand and said, "Mr. Fang's words are serious. All affairs in the southeast have been registered and organized in a clear order. If Master Fang needs to investigate, just give him instructions. If you have any questions, I will definitely tell you everything."
"Master Pei, don't be nervous. Since the name is clear, I will start with the land population, taxation and labor in the southeast in recent years." Fang Zilan smiled faintly, "I wonder where these records are?"
"I'll go get it right away." After saying this, Pei Xiaoze turned and walked out of the main hall.
After he walked away, Zhuge Yu slowly said, "Speaking of which, why doesn't Sister Lan wear official uniform today?"
He looked at Fang Zilan, who was wearing casual riding clothes under a cloak, with a more probing look in his eyes.
Fang Zilan shrugged helplessly, "Master Pei came to apologize in person yesterday, saying that the official uniform was not ready yet."
Zhuge Yu frowned slightly, "Sister Lan met Master Pei yesterday?"
"Yes." Fang Zilan nodded, Zhuge Yushu's brows relaxed and his expression was clear, "Official uniforms are solemn. Sister Lan, do you believe Master Pei's words?"
"I believe it." Fang Zilan answered without hesitation, but Zhuge Yu's eyes clearly showed disapproval.
Seeing this, she asked curiously: "A Yu can't trust Master Pei?"
Zhuge Yu waved his hand and said softly: "It is not the behavior of a gentleman to talk behind your back, so I can't say much. It's just that there are many powerful people in the capital, and there are also many people who rely on their family background to please people with superficial intentions. Sister Lan should be more careful."
Hearing this, Fang Zilan suddenly smiled and said in a warm voice: "A Yu, have you ever heard that if you keep doing it, you will become a gentleman?"
Zhuge Yu was slightly startled, "I would like to hear the details."
"Everyone in the world knows that someone is different from what he looks like, and his behavior is for others to see. He is not a righteous gentleman. But I want to say, since everyone in the world will force themselves to do something, why should they criticize others harshly?" Fang Zilan The smile on his face deepened, "What's more, no matter whether this person is sincere or fake, if he can continue to do it, it will become a habit. How can he not be called a gentleman?"
"This is the first time I've heard what Sister Lan said, and it's quite new." Zhuge Yu thought for a moment and said, "Although it makes sense, why does Sister Lan have so much faith in Lord Pei when we first met him? But Lord Pei also said something else. What?"
"Master Pei did say that." Fang Zilan's expression suddenly became a little more sad, "Actually, Master Pei met me yesterday and asked me to come up with an idea."
"What's your idea?" Zhuge Yu asked, but he had a guess in his heart. Sure enough, he heard Fang Zilan say: "Official uniforms have been made for a long time, but they are all men's sizes according to the old practice. I'm afraid they don't fit my stature. Mr. Pei, please I decide if I want to remake the garment or make do.”
"Sister Lan must make clothes again." Zhuge Yu responded, but Fang Zilan smiled and shook his head: "Master Pei has already taken the idea for me."
She paused and continued: "Master Pei is very careful. He knows very well that if I don't have official uniform, I will lose face on the first day I take office. But he knows even better that as a woman, if I take office as a man wearing inappropriate clothes, I'm afraid that wearing official uniform will lead to ridicule and a lot of criticism. Since he saw me apologizing yesterday, he has already made plans for me. When you and I entered the door just now, everyone in the courtyard was respectful. I think it was his fault. A man in the world who can think carefully for a woman is worthy of being called a gentleman."
Zhuge Yu nodded slightly and said, "Sister Lan's words are right. I just follow her words."
"Personnel affairs in Beijing are complicated. There is nothing wrong with following others' opinions or thinking for yourself." Fang Zilan took some time to straighten his sleeves. When he heard the footsteps approaching from far outside the door, he stood up and said, "Master Pei is here."
Pei Xiaoze walked into the main hall, followed by two officials with a pile of documents in their arms. Fang Zilan said: "My lord, I have been waiting for a long time. All the southeastern affairs in the past five years have been here."
As he spoke, he took one of the books and explained it to Fang Zilan. She listened patiently and sighed in her heart that he was patient and meticulous in his work. He classified all the affairs in Southeast into categories and organized them in an orderly manner.
In less than half a day, Fang Zilan and Pei Xiaoze naturally became familiar with each other. He checked all the matters with her one by one before handing them over to her. Therefore, she was able to take over quickly, and she couldn't help but appreciate him more in her heart.
However, Fang Zilan appreciated it. Her appointment as a new official was not only about sorting out various affairs, but also about decision-making.
Zhuge Yu would ask her to make decisions on every detail, which made her extremely annoyed. She thought that with Zhuge Yu here, she would be able to be a leisurely hands-off shopkeeper, but unexpectedly, she was even busier than when she was in the north.
Fortunately, there was Pei Xiaoze on the side to give advice, so she was not at a loss.
For the whole morning, Fang Zilan, Zhuge Yu, and Pei Xiaoze were busy with official duties, and it was not until after noon that they had time for lunch.
Unexpectedly, not long after they had lunch, Li Qiyou came to visit in person.
He said he was congratulating Fang Zilan on his new appointment, but in fact he came to ask her and Zhuge Yu when they would be free to rehearse a social drama. He happened to see Pei Xiaoze talking to her, so they exchanged a few words and asked about the time. Only then did she know that Pei Xiaoze He will also participate in the New Year's social drama.
