Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1706 Hesitation
"Then today is your death day." Fang Zilan drew her sword and flashed past, leaving the masked leader a corpse.

"Those who know my identity are either family or the dead." Before Fang Zilan finished speaking, the tip of her sword had already lifted her face mask. However, when she saw her face clearly, she froze on the spot.

Seeing their leader dead, the masked crowd rose up to attack. Wen Ran shielded Fang Zilan from a wave of attacks and couldn't help but shout, "What are you daydreaming about at a time like this?"

Fang Zilan composed herself, and Wen Ran moved closer to her. "What, do you recognize the leader of this group of masked men?"

"Why do you have so many questions?" Fang Zilan glared at Wen Ran. "Why don't you save your energy and save your own life first?"

"With you here, I'm not afraid of losing my life." Wen Ran smiled, but Fang Zilan was annoyed. "Didn't you hear me just now? I'm not their target."

"You killed their leader without even asking what happened, and you expect them to let you go?" Wen Ran's smile faded as she stared intently at Fang Zilan. "But you said I'm your family?"

“I never said that.” Fang Zilan protected Awan and stepped aside. “Wen Ran, if you still refuse to explain yourself, we can’t even be friends anymore.”

"I won't explain myself?" Wen Ran gritted her teeth, parrying the attacks while yelling at Fang Zilan, "Instead of asking me, you should ask Xie Chen, or your father, the prime minister who can turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist!"

"What did you say?" Fang Zilan's expression was cold. She didn't make a move, and Meng Tingyang didn't either. He just retreated to stand in front of her and Awan.

Wen Ran struggled to hold on, protecting Fu Mingyue as they fought and retreated, gradually moving to their side. "What kind of good person do you think Xie Chen is? And what kind of good person is your father, who is an official?"

"Shut up." Fang Zilan casually dealt with one of Wen Ran's men, her expression growing increasingly grim. "Is your Wen family some kind of good person?"

"Even if the Wen family is no good, they are still a menace to the region." Wen Ran's hand holding the sword trembled, clearly strained, but he still stubbornly insisted, "It's still better than your Fang family controlling all the world's businesses and causing endless trouble."

Fang Zilan tightened her grip on her sword, while Awan tugged at her sleeve, "Why do I feel like Wen Ran is deliberately provoking you?"

“Replying to Lord Fang, my brothers and I have been keeping an eye on the head of Qingshui Manor for a long time. He thinks he has some connections and has always been at odds with the Fang family.” Wei Wei said indignantly. “I only found out after a long investigation. About six or seven years ago, Young Master Fang’s father couldn’t do anything about him, so he stopped managing Qingshui Manor. So Qingshui Manor is nominally the Fang family’s manor, but in reality, the head of the manor is the one who calls the shots.”

Fang Zilan seemed to be deep in thought, and asked, "Since the Fang family no longer cares about Qingshui Manor, why is he still coercing Miss Cong to slander Young Master Fang?"

Wei Wei said, "The head of Qingshui Manor is used to bullying others, and many people in the manor complain. Last year, a farmer who escaped the manor sued him in the government office, and he spent a lot of money to settle it. In addition, Qingshui Manor had a poor harvest last year, and he was short of money, so he naturally thought of the Fang family. Young Master Fang has a reputation for being a playboy, and he took the opportunity to extort some money." He paused for a moment and continued, "But he didn't expect Young Master Fang to be so capable. All the women who came to the Fang manor to cause trouble before were dealt with by Young Master Fang one by one, without getting any benefit. It seems that he was forced to make such a foolish move, sending this pregnant girl to come and cry and make a scene."

Fang Zilan glanced at Cong Rong, then discreetly hid the jade pendant in her sleeve. "Wei Wei, you've been watching the head of Qingshui Manor for so long, why did you only make your move today?"

“The head of Qingshui Manor has a powerful background. If it weren’t for the fact that a life was at stake and the evidence was irrefutable, there would be no way to deal with him.” Wei Wei lowered his head and said in a low voice, “Lord Wei said that if we can’t deliver a fatal blow to him, I can only endure it.”

Fang Lihui couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is the background of this head of Qingshui Village?"

"The head of Qingshui Manor is surnamed Lu. His ancestors were subordinates of the Prince of Pingnan in the previous dynasty. After the previous dynasty fell, the manors near the capital were all taken back by the court and redistributed. Qingshui Manor changed hands several times and eventually fell into the hands of the Fang family." Wei Wei said, then added as if remembering something, "Lu Zhizhang of Yanzhou is a member of the same clan as the head of Qingshui Manor. If it weren't for Lord Wei presiding over the case in the northern border, we wouldn't have found so much evidence of the head of Qingshui Manor's wrongdoings."

The steward suddenly sighed, "The Lu family was a prominent clan in the previous dynasty. Lu Tao was a censor in the court, and Lu Qinghou followed the Prince of Pingnan in his campaigns. Who would have thought that with the change of dynasties, they would fall to such a state?"

"The Lu family's current situation is not due to the change of dynasties." Fang Lihui's expression turned cold. "When Emperor Tai'an first ascended the throne, he did not exterminate the former dynasty's people. On the contrary, he treated them with many courtesy. Otherwise, my Fang family's business would not be where it is today."

Fang Zilan stared intently at Fang Lihui, her expression complex, as he continued, "The Lu family's power in the Northern Territory was no less than during the previous dynasty. However, two of the Lu family's most capable members, one a martial artist and the other a scholar, were implicated by the Shangguan family and lost their official positions and titles, while the other, unwilling to accept defeat and driven by ambition, sought revenge. Their reckless actions ultimately harmed the entire family. Not to mention the unworthy descendant Lu Tang and the head of Qingshui Manor, who bullied others with their power. The Lu family's destruction was only a matter of time."

“Young Master Fang?” Wei Wei stared blankly at Fang Lihui, who sighed softly. “Lord Fang made a good point just now—only by getting to the root of the problem and going far enough can one have any sense of honor or disgrace. The Fang family has only been in my hands for a little over a hundred years. I will never allow the Fang family to make the same mistakes as the Lu family.”

After saying this, he respectfully bowed to Fang Zilan, "Now that today's matter has been reported to the court, Li Hui will not shirk his responsibility. If it is related to the Fang family, I will take full responsibility."

Fang Zilan pondered for a moment and said, "Young Master Fang, I understand your determination. However, things may not be as bad as you think. The Fang family will not be affected much."

Her confident demeanor surprised Fang Lihui. "What do you mean by that, Lord Fang?"

“You can have the accountant check. If what Wei Wei said is true, the Fang family stopped managing Qingshui Manor six or seven years ago, then your father must have made a deal with the manor manager.” Fang Zilan spoke slowly, each sentence carefully chosen. “Furthermore, if Qingshui Manor is truly still connected to the Fang family, why didn’t the manor manager come to the Fang family directly to plead poverty and demand money? Instead, he resorted to unscrupulous means, using a woman as leverage, even going so far as to take risks and scheme to get Miss Cong pregnant…”

Her gaze fell on Cong Rong, and after a brief pause, she continued, "The manor manager's purpose is quite clear: to seize on the Fang family's weakness and extort them severely. I don't think a manor manager with any connection to the family would do something like this to their owner."