Chapter 657: A Seed Planted Unintentionally

Fazheng coughed lightly, "Of course not. Hmm, Zhuge Kongming is busy with military and political affairs, Wang Shuzhi has gone to Yanzhou, so... how about you become Lu Zijing’s secretary? You know who Lu Zijing is, right?"

Although Wang Yi hadn’t had much opportunity to interact with Taishan’s ministers, she had spent enough time wandering around Fenggao to know who was responsible for building Taishan. Lu Su had contributed significantly to its development, so in Wang Yi’s mind, Lu Su was an elderly, wise man with white hair.

"Yes, I know. Can I really be his secretary?" Wang Yi asked excitedly.

"You should be able to. I’ll take you to ask him in a bit; he should give me some face," Fazheng said, estimating the time. After all, Wang Yi was literate, intelligent, and had good handwriting, so being a secretary shouldn’t be a problem.

"Wow, you have that much influence?" Wang Yi asked, bubbling with excitement. She had only been in Taishan for a little over half a month, and Fazheng had spent most of that time at home with Jiang Ying, building their relationship.

Fazheng rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "She really doesn’t know much."

After making sure Jiang Ying was settled, Fazheng took Wang Yi out. They quickly arrived at the administration hall, where the guards respectfully greeted Fazheng.

"Is Zijing inside?" Fazheng asked. The weather was still chilly, so he wasn’t sure if Lu Su was at home or at the office.

"Lu Cishi and Li Changshi arrived this afternoon. They are currently handing over some official duties to Zhuge Changshi," Xu Ding, the guard, replied, his expression as firm as ever.

Following Fazheng into the administration hall, Wang Yi became much more cautious, careful not to cause any trouble for Fazheng.

Even though Wang Yi had noticed that Fazheng seemed to hold a significant position, she didn’t want to inadvertently cause any issues, especially knowing how arrogant Fazheng could be.

"Zijing, Li Shi, Kongming," Fazheng greeted the three men who were busy with their work as he entered, raising his hand in a familiar gesture.

"Fazheng, you're here. It seems Wenhe has already handed over military affairs to you, interrupting your time with your wife," Li You said calmly, "I’ll make sure you get an extra month of leave later."

"Forget it; that’s not important. I’m here to ask Zijing for a favor," Fazheng waved off the offer nonchalantly as he turned to Lu Su.

"Go ahead, what’s the problem you can’t solve?" Lu Su asked with a smile.

Wang Yi finally noticed the young man seated at the head of the table, dressed in a dark green scholar’s robe, calmly organizing documents. His steady demeanor exuded a sense of wisdom, completely unlike the elderly figure she had imagined. The difference from her mental image was striking.

"There are many problems I can’t solve. I have military duties that require me to leave Taishan, so I need someone to look after my household," Fazheng said, grabbing a chair and sitting down casually, a gesture that caught Wang Yi’s attention. It spoke volumes about his status.

"Is that really something you need to worry about?" Lu Su chuckled, "Even if you didn’t ask, everything would still be fine."

"Yes, well, this is my cousin. She’s gentle, literate, and virtuous," Fazheng said, praising Wang Yi without hesitation. In truth, he didn’t know her all that well, aside from the fact that she could read. But this was the time to flatter her.

"Greetings, I am Wang Yi of the Wang family. I pay my respects to Lu Cishi, Li Changshi, and Zhuge Changshi," Wang Yi said gracefully, bowing. Although she was shocked by how young Lu Su was, now was not the time to dwell on that.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Get to the point. Last time, you tricked me into having Gongyou build a road near your place, and I had to replan everything," Lu Su glanced at Fazheng, unimpressed by his attempts at flattery. He was immune to such things, having often interacted with women like Mi Zhen and Zhen Mi.

"My cousin wants to be a lady official. Is there an opening?" Fazheng got straight to the point.

"There are plenty of openings. Cai Zhaoji’s library still needs more officials to manage the books. It’s a relaxed job, and she’ll even teach them," Lu Su responded without hesitation, suggesting that Wang Yi work under Cai Zhaoji, who was responsible for most of the female officials.

At this point, the daughters and sisters of Taishan’s officials were all under Cai Zhaoji’s supervision. Only she had the authority to manage such a distinguished group of young women.

"If it were that simple, I would have already sent her there. She wants to be a secretary," Fazheng sighed, "Just find a place here in Taishan for her as a secretary. It’ll keep her from wandering around."

As Fazheng’s gaze briefly passed over Wang Yi before focusing back on Lu Su, Lu Su immediately understood. This was just like when Mi Zhu had asked for his sister to be given a position, mainly to keep her under watch.

After a moment of consideration, Lu Su said, "Having her as a secretary is fine, but it’s not ideal for a woman to follow someone around. And since she’s your cousin, she can serve as a secretary here."

"I appreciate your help, Zijing," Fazheng said, feigning gratitude. He had expected Lu Su, the good-natured man, to think he had the same concerns as Mi Zhu had before.

"No need for thanks between us. As it happens, Shuzhi has gone to Yanzhou, and Kongming also has matters to attend to. I could use a secretary here," Lu Su said with a smile, though both Li You and Zhuge Liang turned their heads to hide their expressions.

Li You quietly averted his gaze, having already discerned Fazheng’s true intentions.

Zhuge Liang, who often clashed with Fazheng, knew him well enough to see through Fazheng’s real motive.

"You’ll start here tomorrow. Just do whatever you’re asked," Fazheng instructed Wang Yi, who was beaming with happiness.

"I’ll work hard," Wang Yi replied, feeling a sense of joy. She realized that managing a household might not be her calling after all. The idea of holding an official position planted a seed in her heart, one that was beginning to take root.

"Zijing, make sure to keep an eye on her," Fazheng signaled to Lu Su with a look.

Fazheng’s primary concern was genuinely to have Lu Su watch over Wang Yi, to prevent her from getting into trouble or making questionable friends. Even a fool could be responsible when it came to their siblings.

"Don’t worry," Lu Su replied with a reassuring look.

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