Amber was startled, "What, it's really strange, there is such a strange thing in this world!"

A strange smile appeared on Zhou Houfang's face, "Just watch, there are still many strange things about these people!"

The two people walked in, and sure enough they saw someone pulling a red line not far away, with a wooden board on top with the words "No Trampling" written on it.

Zhou Houfang couldn't help but look over, it's just dark gray wet mud, what's so special about it?
Amber said blankly: "Miss, what are they doing?"

Zhou Houfang looked up and saw countless naked men, with their trousers rolled up, having sex in full swing under the sun.

There were people carrying a lot of gray powder, some carrying water, and some pouring the water into the gray powder and stirring it. In addition, someone filled the mixed gray wet mud into two long straight pits that had been pressed in advance.

It looks like road construction.

But what kind of road is this? Why does it look different from the previous road construction?

When building roads before, it was enough to compact and flatten the land with hoes and other tools. If there was still money, some stone slabs would be pressed down. It was not like they had molds.

Zhou Houfang saw Xu Zhenying and his party standing under a big tree. Xu Zhenying waved to her from a distance, and Zhou Houfang quickly walked over with Amber.

Zhou Houfang bowed her head respectfully, "City Lord."

Secretary Qian behind Xu Zhenying also nodded slightly as a greeting.

Xu Zhenying also had his sleeves rolled up and a handkerchief casually draped over his shoulder. At first glance, he looked like a working man.

Seeing Zhou Houfang's confused look, she then said with a smile: "You have never seen such road construction, have you? From now on, we will all use this kind of road in Jinzhou Prefecture. It is much better than the loess road. It is not only cheap, but also strong and durable. Wait for it to dry. In the future, it will also be waterproof and fireproof, and it will not get muddy even on rainy days. Our public carriage will be faster in the future!"

Zhou Houfang was very surprised, "May I ask the city lord, what is this?"

"This is a newly invented thing in our research institute, called cement. It looks like mud, but after it dries, it is no different from hard slate, but the cost is greatly reduced."

Zhou Houfang immediately caught the word "research institute" keenly.

Sounds like a department dedicated to new objects.

Qian Zhenniang saw that Zhou Houfang was still confused, and then explained with a smile: "The institute is a place that specializes in studying new things. For example, the pencils you saw in the examination room were made by them based on the city lord's ideas."

Xu Zhenying was very modest, "It's all thanks to Dean Luo and his colleagues."

Pencils, cement, both of these things look incredible.

Zhou Houfang couldn't help but have a strong interest in the graduate student.

Xu Zhenying asked her: "The results are out, do you know your ranking?"

Zhou Houfang nodded.

"The one hundred and forty-seventh one sounds like the last one. But you have to know that you are the only one selected in the whole Jinzhou Prefecture." Xu Zhenying looked at her with a smile, "Miss Zhou family, you should know that I am very short of people now. , although the employment standard this time is that candidates will choose positions based on their grades, but for talents like you, I will naturally make an exception."

Zhou Houfang was in a daze, as if she couldn't believe what Xu Zhenying said.

Talent, is Xu Zhenying talking about her?
What kind of talent is she?
Could it be that Xu Zhenying was teasing her?
"If you are willing to work for me, you can choose one of the counties below and immediately take office as the county magistrate. Or you can work as my secretary. It happens that Secretary Hu is going to Sanyuan County, and the position next to me is freed up. Come alone."

For some reason, Zhou Houfang clearly noticed that after saying this, Qian Zhenniang's eyes stared at her excitedly like a wild wolf, which made her somewhat frightened.

Qian Zhenniang is looking forward to Xu Zhenying's poaching skills.

This is a ready-made talent. She is a daughter of an official from the fifth rank. Not only is she literate, but she is also quite accomplished in arithmetic. She also looks smart and cautious. She is a good candidate to be a secretary!
But Zhou Houfang looked hesitant. She seemed to be hesitating to speak, but Xu Zhenying already knew what she was thinking, "Is there some difficulty at home?"

Zhou Houfang said directly: "City Lord, thank you for your favor, but I took the exam this time to save my father. If I go out to do something, not only will my parents object, but even my husband's family will not like it. I can't betray the family like this. Dear relatives…”

She bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with sadness, "I can't afford such a price."

Qian Zhenniang suddenly became enlightened.

Yes, why did you forget Zhou Houfang’s identity?

She was different from Xu Yinxi. Although both of them were women in officialdom, the Xu family was exiled, while the Zhou family was still in full swing.

The Zhou family must be counting on the imperial court to send troops to attack Jinzhou, so that Zhou's father can be reinstated and the Zhou family can be the same as before.

If Zhou Houfang came out to work for the city lord, wouldn't it be a betrayal of her mother's family, and would not tolerate her husband's family? There would be no way out, and from now on she would have no choice but to follow the city lord in rebellion wholeheartedly?

Indeed, as Zhou Houfang worried, the price was too high.

It would be fine if Xu Zhenying's rebellion succeeded, but if not, she would have no way out, and her end would probably be more miserable than anyone else's.

Letting Zhou Houfang join their camp was simply forcing her to risk her life.

Looking at Zhou Houfang's expression, Qian Zhenniang had a hunch in her heart that Miss Zhou might not be able to come this week.

Xu Zhenying smiled and said: "Don't worry. I'll give you two choices. One is to come and work with me, and I will give you the best treatment. You can choose between the county magistrate or the secretary. The other is I will let your father go home alone." , but in order to prevent him from causing trouble, I must keep you Zhou family under supervision, and you can only move around in the house from now on."

Zhou Houfang said "ah".

Locking up all the Zhou family members meant that she and her father had to live under the same roof anytime and anywhere.

Her father has a stubborn temper and is very strict with her. In the past, it was okay to sleep in the morning and dusk, but now she has to face it every day——

Zhou Houfang’s heart tightened!
"By the way, by the way, my last secretary has already gone to Qianzhou Prefecture to be the prefect. So as my secretary, the future is still very bright!"

Zhou Houfang was stunned.

She had heard that the newly appointed prefect of Qianzhou was a very young woman.

But...this is the territory of the rebels after all. Who knows how long Xu Zhenying's power can last? This county magistrate, prefect, and official sounds like a magnificent dream, but that dream will wake up at any time——

If Xu Zhenying loses, how should she deal with herself?
Except for this life.

"Think slowly and give me a reply within three days. If you have figured it out, come to the government office directly to find me."

Zhou Houfang just went back.

Amber behind her seemed to have noticed her thoughts, and she didn't dare to speak until the two of them came together, and Amber suddenly said: "Miss, look--"

Zhou Houfang came back to her senses and looked in the direction of Amber's finger.

It was a dried cement road.

Someone was pushing a cart on it, but the cart didn't shake at all, as if it were walking on flat ground. Zhou Houfang simply walked over quickly and stepped on it.

Amber quickly followed, feeling the flat and smooth stone road under her feet. She couldn't help but said in shock: "Miss, this cement road is so smooth! It's almost the same as the bluestone road at home! If it really clicks on that The Mountain King said, if all our Jinzhou Prefecture is paved with this kind of road, won’t the carriages be able to run and fly?”

Zhou Houfang walked step by step, feeling, she narrowed her eyes slightly and raised her hands to cover the sun.

The wind gently blew her hair.

She seemed to see far into the future.

At this moment, a mysterious power suddenly emerged in her heart. Then she made a decision that even she couldn't believe.

Life is so long, she Zhou Houfang... wants to risk her life to try it.

What are you fighting for?

future? Gold and silver? status?

No, she wants to fight for her freedom! The woman turned her head, with a brisk smile on her face, and said to Amber beside her: "Let's go home."

Seeing that Zhou Houfang remained silent on the way home, Hu Bo was worried.

She was afraid that Zhou Houfang would really listen to the mountain king's words and leave her family and career to rebel. If that's the case, what should she do? She is just a little maid. If something happens to her master, how can she be better off?
Maybe he will be beaten to death directly by Madam?
Seeing that he was about to arrive at the door of his house, Amber couldn't hold back and asked: "Miss, you don't really plan to kill the Laoshizi County Magistrate, do you?"

Zhou Houfang said with a smile: "Didn't you say that I am capable and better than Miss Chang San before? Why are you more sad than me now?"

"Miss, you must not think of running away and rebelling! In that case, madam and master will not let you go! Think about me again, you will get married next month!"

Zhou Houfang thought about Chang Dalang.

But he only thought that before she even got married, he had two concubines.

Even Chang Dalang was afraid that after she entered the house, it would hinder his love for his concubine with his cousin Lang. Even though the two of them had already decided to get married, he still desperately brought his cousin into the house before the wedding.

It was like a loud slap in the face, making her a joke in the Chang family before she even entered the door.

If it weren't for Chang Dalang's mother who came to work as a child, increased the betrothal gift, and acted like she was the only one who had to do it, my father and mother would have been angry.

So what if you get angry again? Most of the three books and six rituals have been completed, and only the last person is left to greet them. It is a fait accompli that no matter how unbearable the man is, she can only hold her nose and get married.

Thinking about it now, Zhou Houfang actually felt lucky that Xu Zhenying suddenly invaded Jinzhou Mansion and delayed her wedding.

Fortunately, it gave her a chance to breathe.

Zhou Houfang only vaguely said to Hu Hu: "Now the Zhou Dynasty is in turmoil, wars are happening everywhere, and our Jinzhou Mansion has also fallen into the hands of thieves. It is not certain whether this marriage can happen!"

When Amber heard this, she always felt a little uneasy.

She heard what the lady meant...it seemed like she didn't want to marry her uncle...

But this marriage is a fait accompli. Once the mountain king leaves or the two masters are released, they will definitely have to get married.

Could it be that the lady has other ideas?
The moment Zhou Houfang returned home, she noticed a strange atmosphere in the house.

The maids all lowered their heads and held their breath, looking quite nervous.

Zhou Houfang looked a little uncomfortable. He quickly passed through the screen wall and saw the steward next to Mrs. Chang. She stopped in front of Zhou Houfang like an iron wall. She looked her up and down, then she looked slightly happy, but her tone was quite arrogant: "Girl, Jinzhou Mansion is in a state of chaos right now. It's best if you don't have anything to do at home."

Amber pursed her lips, very dissatisfied.

Before she even got through the door, she was already taking care of her lady in a tactful manner! What's more, this mother-in-law is not the young lady's mother-in-law, but just her confidant.

However, due to the identity of the other party, Amber naturally did not dare to make any mistakes.

Zhou Houfang, on the other hand, felt slightly blessed: "Mommy taught me the right lesson."

Zhou Houfang already knew in her heart that there was no good banquet, so every time Mrs. Chang came to visit, she would be up to no good.

This time, she was afraid that her husband's family would find out about her taking the civil service examination.

In a flash of thought, Zhou Houfang had already gone through all the possibilities that would happen behind the door in his mind.

Sure enough, as soon as she entered the house, Mrs. Chang was sitting in the first place, looking magnificent, while her mother had an apologetic smile on her face, completely flattering.

The maids in the house were all as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and they didn't dare to express their anger.

Just because Mrs. Chang looked calm and a little downcast, she looked like she was going to attack the enemy.

Zhou Houfang stepped forward to salute. As soon as he sat down, he heard Mrs. Chang's sharp voice: "Houfang, if it hadn't been mentioned by the purchasing maids, I wouldn't have known that my eldest daughter-in-law of the Chang family had turned to the rebels! You can tell yourself , is that Zhou Houfang on the bulletin board at the entrance of the government office actually you?"

Zhou Houfang showed no fear, "Yes, it's me."

"You are so brave!" Mrs. Chang frowned, and with a flick of her long sleeves, the cup broke into pieces. People in the room did not dare to speak, "Do you still remember your identity? Your father is the fifth minister of Jinzhou Prefecture. General judge of Pin, now you are in doubt about your life and death by the traitor, and you actually bent down to serve as a traitor! If the imperial court knew, all of your Zhou family will be regarded as traitors, and the nine clans of you will be punished! If my Chang family is implicated by that time, , I am ruthless in fixing the blame!”

Mrs. Zhou's eyes were full of fear. She grabbed Mrs. Chang's hand and said, "My mother-in-law, if you want to blame me, blame me. It was I who asked Houfang to go. My husband-in-law is still in prison and does not know whether he is alive or dead. My mother-in-law is also seriously ill." Fa. The people we sent couldn’t enter the prison at all, and the jailers were all replaced by people who rebelled against the thieves. We really have no choice—"

Zhou Houfang couldn't bear her mother's pleading, so she stepped forward to help her up and said to Mrs. Chang, "Madam, don't you want to know Mr. Chang's current situation?"

Mrs. Chang was stunned.

She had always known that this daughter of the Zhou family had a high spirit. She was afraid that Zhou Houfang would be strong in the future and suppress her son, causing her son to be constantly controlled, so she did not want this marriage.

Looking at Zhou Houfang, who looked weak but was actually strong, she couldn't care about anything and just said: "Is it possible that you have heard about their situation?"

With just one word, Zhou Houfang stabilized Mrs. Chang, who was raising an army to investigate, and instead took the initiative to take control of the situation.

Zhou Houfang took the opportunity to help her mother sit on the chair, and then slowly said: "I took the opportunity of the exam to get close to Xu Zhenying, and then met her alone. I learned about the current situation of my father and Lord Chang from her mouth. Madam, don't worry, Everything is fine for them in the prison, Xu Zhenying's people did not torture them intentionally, and their food and daily life are taken care of."

"Then..." Mrs. Chang regained her energy. Without mentioning what happened just now, she just asked, "Then when will they come out?"

"I'm afraid it won't be possible in the near future. Xu Zhenying has never killed innocent people indiscriminately since he entered the city, and has a good reputation in Lan County and Ye County. Therefore, her words are still trustworthy. She said that in order to prevent her father and others from causing trouble, she could only temporarily remove them Imprisoned. As for when he will be released, my guess is that either the imperial court will send reinforcements to attack Jinzhou Mansion, or Xu Zhenying will completely establish a foothold in Jinzhou Mansion."

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Chang crushed the brocade handkerchief, "That's a traitor to be killed!"

After saying that, Mrs. Chang looked at Zhou Houfang expectantly, "Then...can we be allowed to visit?"

Zhou Houfang raised his eyelids and looked at Mrs. Chang, "Madam, there are more than a dozen soldiers following her now. I just took advantage of the opportunity of the examiner to talk to Xu Zhenying. I'm afraid it will be difficult to meet her in the future, let alone Talk about making a request for visitation.”

Mrs. Chang sat back in her chair with some confusion, "Is there nothing we can do?"

Zhou Houfang paused deliberately, letting Mrs. Chang and her mother sob at each other, then she sighed slightly and said hesitantly: "There is a way, but it depends on whether you dare to lose the face of our family."

Mrs. Chang immediately stopped sobbing and looked at Zhou Houfang, who seemed to have found her backbone instantly, "Tell me what method you can use. As long as you can save my master, you don't need to lose face!"

Even Mrs. Zhou said: "Houfang, you have always had your own opinion. If you have any ideas, please tell me first."

Zhou Houfang suppressed the excitement in her heart and showed a look of shame on her face, "Now, I won't hide the matter from the two elders. I just went to see Xu Zhenying and asked about my father. She seemed to think highly of me and tried her best to persuade me. I came out to do things for her.”

Mrs. Chang looked surprised, but she refrained from scolding.

"Of course I rejected her. I am the daughter of the Fifth Rank Judge of the Jinzhou Prefecture, and I can never do anything to embarrass my father." Zhou Houfang's face was full of indignation, "But she said that if I come out to do things, she can Allow me to visit once a month."

Zhou Houfang paused deliberately, and then looked at the faces of the two leaders.

Sure enough, Mrs. Chang's tense shoulders seemed to be slightly loosened.

Very good, looks promising.

She continued: "Later, I thought carefully about it on the way back and realized that it might be a good idea for me to work for the rebels."

Seeing Mrs. Chang's face suddenly darken, Zhou Houfang said quickly: "When I go to do things, the faces of the Chang family and the Zhou family will not look good. We will inevitably be criticized by others, and we may even be accused by the court in the future. However, this time There are advantages and disadvantages to everything, it all depends on how we deal with it. Uncle Chang and Dad lost Jinzhou, even if the imperial court sent troops to help, no matter what the reason, the two elders would inevitably be reprimanded by His Majesty, or at least they would be disliked by His Majesty , even if they are demoted and sent to prison, these are still minor. Therefore, the crisis between the two families is not now, but after the imperial court rescues them!"

Mrs. Chang's face tightened when she said this.

Yes, losing a huge Jinzhou mansion is tantamount to a heavy slap in the face of the court, and there will definitely be a scapegoat afterwards.

Speaking of which, the Chang family's crisis is still to come!

"But if I take advantage of this opportunity to be an official examiner, I get close to Xu Zhenying and pretend to surrender. If I can find out the secrets and provide information when the imperial army comes to help, I may be able to save the lives of the two families and even be promoted to official positions. It’s still unknown whether he will be promoted to the nobility——”

Zhou Houfang clearly noticed that Mrs. Chang’s eyes lit up!
The mother looked worried.


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