Fang Zilan was working in the government office when she heard the news. The subordinates who came to report were panicked and their voices were shaking so much that they couldn't even speak clearly.
"You said Lord Guo Guo... died of illness?" Fang Zilan's face was full of shock, and his subordinates nodded, "Yes."
"Are you sure you heard correctly?" Fang Zilan said blankly: "How could it be so sudden? Didn't they say a few days ago that Duke Guo Guo had recovered from his illness..."
"Who says it's not..." the subordinate whispered: "Yesterday Mr. Guoguo went to the Ministry of Household Affairs and saw that everything was fine..."
Fang Zilan didn't listen at all to what he said next. She just felt like it was a mess and couldn't figure it out at all.
Died of illness? Although most of Pei's family members are in poor health, there has never been anyone who died of illness at such a young age. What's more, as the head of the Pei family, Pei Juqing appeared in front of people yesterday and died of illness today. How can it be justified?
"Master Fang!" An urgent voice brought Fang Zilan back from her thoughts, and another subordinate hurried in, "The people from the Jingzhao Yin Mansion are here."
"Why are the people from the Jingzhao Yin Mansion coming to our government office at this time?" Fang Zilan frowned, and his subordinate shook his head like a rattle, "I don't know, please go and have a look, Mr. Fang."
"I understand." Fang Zilan got up and went to the main hall. Cao Hong stood in front of the door. As soon as he saw her, he went up to meet her and whispered: "Boss, the people from Jingzhao Yin Mansion are here to ask about the Pei family..."
"Master Fang." A modest and gentle voice interrupted Cao Hong. The visitor walked up to Fang Zilan and bowed respectfully: "Xie Yanping of Jingzhao Yin Mansion has met Master Fang."
Fang Zilan looked at him and felt that he looked familiar. She must have seen him when he went to Jingzhao Yin Mansion before. He deliberately interrupted Cao Hong's conversation, presumably because he didn't want her to know anything from Cao Hong in advance, so he was too prepared to ask questions, but he was somewhat scheming.
"Master Xie, there is no need to be polite." Fang Zilan raised her hand, and Xie Yanping stood up straight, listening to her ask: "I wonder why Master Xie came to the government office?"
Xie Yanping said neither humble nor arrogantly: "Sir Fang must have heard that Lord Guo Guo passed away due to illness. The Jingzhao Yin Mansion is asking for your cooperation as a routine matter."
Routine questions? Fang Zilan thought about these four words secretly, and said calmly: "I deeply mourn the death of Lord Guo Guo. But why does the Jingzhao Yin Mansion want to question me?"
"It's just a routine question." Xie Yanping wrote lightly: "All the people who had contact with Duke Guo Guo during his lifetime will be questioned one by one by the Jingzhao Yin Mansion."
Fang Zilan said thoughtfully: "I'm afraid Master Xie will be very busy."
"That's where the responsibility lies." Xie Yanping said seriously: "His Majesty Duke Jun is an important minister of the country, and nothing related to him should be treated with contempt."
Fang Zilan was noncommittal and said calmly, "What do you want to ask me, Mr. Xie?"
Xie Yanping asked directly: "Master Fang had previously written a letter to impeach Mr. Guo Guo because of Mr. Pei Pening's beating of Mr. Mo of your mansion, right?"
"Yes." Fang Zilan nodded, and Xie Yanping stared into her eyes closely, "Your Majesty ignored him. Has Mr. Fang ever gone to the Pei family privately to find Mr. Guo Guo?"
"No." Fang Zilan answered simply and neatly. Xie Yanping continued to ask: "Has Mr. Fang met Mr. Guo Guo recently?"
"How many days have it been recently?" Fang Zilan asked without answering, Xie Yanping said calmly: "One month."
"No." Fang Zilan did not hesitate, and Xie Yanping asked: "Has Mr. Fang seen Mr. Pei Pening in the past month?"
"No." Fang Zilan's expression grew colder, "I have never met not only Mr. Pei Pening, but also Mr. Pei Xiaoze. The last time I saw the Pei family was when I met Mr. Pei Pening in the Criminal Department. He injured Mo Han. .”
Xie Yanping sensed Fang Zilan's caution and bowed: "I've finished asking. Thank you, Mr. Fang."
"Sir Xie, you are so polite." Fang Zilan casually called a subordinate to escort Xie Yanping out. After he left, Cao Hong came over and said, "Boss, listening to what Mr. Xie asked, it seems that Mr. Guo Guo did not die of illness."
"Did you hear it too?" Fang Zilan's voice was a little softer. Cao Hong nodded and listened to her instructions: "Go to Miss Xiao and ask her to find out the cause of the death of Mr. Guo Guo and what happened to the Pei family. What's up."
"What the boss means..." A look of surprise flashed in Cao Hong's eyes, and Fang Zilan's expression was dark and unclear, "The Pei family claimed that Duke Guo Guo died of illness, but the Jingzhao Yin Mansion sent someone to ask questions. There must be something else behind this matter. Hidden secrets.”
Cao Hong's expression became more solemn, "I'll go right away."
"Go, don't make any noise." Fang Zilan warned in a low voice, and Cao Hong took the order and left.
After that, Fang Zilan was not interested in official duties and went to the public office until Cao Hong came back. She simply went back to the Duke's Mansion of Yue State, and she never thought that before she got there, she would see Cao Hong and Zheng Yan walking in a hurry on the street.
"Why are you here?" Fang Zilan frowned slightly, and the two of them stopped, but they stopped talking.
"Okay, let's go back to the house." As soon as Fang Zilan and the two of them entered the house, they saw Xiao Xuan'er pacing back and forth in the court. Mo Han helplessly advised: "Miss Xiao, you should take a rest."
"I'll rest..." As soon as Xiao Xuan'er opened her mouth, she saw Fang Zilan. Her eyes lit up and she walked over quickly, "Master Fang."
Fang Zilan dragged Xiao Xuan'er into the hall and asked straight to the point: "What have you found?"
Xiao Xuan'er leaned against Fang Zilan's ear and whispered: "Duke Guo Guo did not die of illness, but was killed."
The expected answer, Fang Zilan pursed her lips and asked: "Have you found out who the murderer is?"
"Not yet." Xiao Xuan'er slightly opened the distance between the two, and said in a deliberately lowered voice: "But since it is in the mansion, the murderer must be someone in the mansion. If it was just an insignificant person, he should have reported the crime early in the morning. , won’t be so secretive.”
"If it's not an insignificant person..." Fang Zilan pondered for a moment, then Xiao Xuan'er said: "The only possibility is that it is one of the two adults, Pei Pening and Pei Xiaoze."
"If those two had the guts, they wouldn't have waited until today." Fang Zilan raised her hand and frowned slightly, "It's not impossible for others."
Xiao Xuan'er was stunned, and suddenly remembered something, and said: "A few days ago, His Majesty Duke Guo Guo cleared out several adults from poor families in the Ministry of Household Affairs. Those adults are all disciples of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Could it be? Miss Fang Er..."
"Fang Zitong? Although she is domineering, she will not kill anyone." Fang Zilan thought for a moment and said, "I will go to the palace tomorrow to see if I can find out anything."
However, Li Shengxuan did not summon her, and the Pei family thanked guests behind closed doors and did not mourn in secret. Suddenly, rumors abounded in the capital, saying that Duke Guo Guo had died unexpectedly.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Fang Zilan couldn't help but decided to go to Pei's house to find out. Unexpectedly, as soon as she reached the back alley of Pei Mansion, she saw a figure rushing over, followed by a group of servants who were shouting and killing.
