Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1717 Behind the Scenes
"Yes." Zheng Yan accepted the order and left. Fang Zilan then asked Xiao Xuan'er, "After the Ministry of Revenue detained the person, did they say what their next steps would be?"

"Not yet." Xiao Xuan'er shook her head. "Smuggling convictions are usually based on the value of the goods. I heard that the Ministry of Revenue hasn't finalized the valuation yet, so they haven't handed the person over to the Ministry of Justice."

“I think it’s not that the price hasn’t been determined yet, but rather that we need to see the Fang family’s reaction before we can determine the price.” Fang Zilan leaned back in the main seat, looking somewhat tired.

“If the Fang family bows down and gives in, this matter will likely be resolved peacefully,” Mo Han interjected. “But if the Fang family still refuses, the Ministry of Revenue might fabricate something out of nothing.”

Fang Zilan remained silent, thinking to herself, "With Pei Jinqing pressing me so hard, is the Fang family really doomed?"

"Lord Fang!" Awan rushed over, looking anxious, and said, "Someone from the palace has come to summon you, saying that His Majesty requests your presence in the palace."

"Back to the palace again?" Fang Zilan felt her head was spinning. She had no idea what Li Shengxuan was thinking. Ever since the Lantern Festival, he had been summoning her to the palace every few days.

Logically speaking, she was in charge of the government office and was not allowed to enter the court without an imperial decree. At most, she would need to enter the palace to report on the situation once a month. Who knew that Li Shengxuan would summon her to the palace so often, even for trivial matters, but he insisted that she make her go.

Inside the residence of Prince Zhongzheng, Murong Qing lay on his bed, staring at the bed curtains above his head, pondering carefully which step had gone wrong and had implicated Mr. Zuo.

When he heard that Mr. Zuo had been arrested, he was speechless with shock. Because of Yun Shu, Mr. Zuo had a mentor-student relationship with him and was the only person who knew his ambition and was willing to help him.

This game of chess in Dajing was planned by Mr. Zuo.

After arriving in Dajing, he quickly discovered that Master Yuan's identity was not simple. He frequently visited Baiye Temple, which eventually led him to figure it out.

After he relayed the message to Mr. Zuo, Mr. Zuo first robbed the Persian caravan and framed the Di Rong tribe, thus provoking a conflict between the two sides. Then, on the one hand, he planted his own people in the delegation, who openly and secretly praised Master Yuan with the Persian delegation. On the other hand, he took advantage of the delegation's journey to the capital to spread the news that Master Yuan was unworthy of his position and therefore dared not hold an altar.

The Persian deputy envoy was indignant upon hearing the news, and the constant rumors that Master Nuoan was a barbarian monk from a foreign land fueled his anger, leading to the scene in the main hall.

As for Miagu, Mr. Zuo had already done him a favor, and the original plan was for him to kill Master Yuan in public. The dead cannot speak, and the truth can only come from the mouths of the living. In this way, no one would know whether Master Yuan was unworthy of his position. Li Shengxuan would at least be accused of being muddle-headed and negligent, and coupled with his dubious throne, chaos was bound to ensue within the capital.

Although Master Liaoyuan survived because of Fang Zilan, the rumors have attracted eminent monks from all directions, and his disgrace is imminent. Even with the twists and turns, the goal can still be achieved.

However, Mr. Zuo never showed his face throughout this entire scheme, so why was he arrested? Could it be...?

Murong Qing suddenly sat up and was about to call Meng Tingyang when he saw him walk in and bow respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, Lord Fang, the Duke of Yue, requests your presence at the camp outside the capital."

Upon hearing this, Murong Qing's pupils dilated suddenly. Was it really the jade pendant that had accidentally fallen that had attracted Fang Zilan?

He slowly got off the bed, composed himself, and said in a calm voice, "I understand. I will set off after I change my clothes."

Fang Zilan looked up and saw the steward with a stiff smile leading Zhuge Yu over. She composed herself and said calmly, "Ayu, what brings you here?" "Sister Lan has been released from confinement and should return to her post at the government office." Zhuge Yu stopped and said slowly, "Today, all the officials at the government office, big and small, have not seen Lord Fang arrive, so they asked me to come to the Fang residence to check on things."

Fang Zilan pursed her lips, thinking to herself that if she wasn't confined to the mansion, she would have to go to work; being a high-ranking official in the capital was really not easy. However, she remained calm on the surface and said, "Please wait here for a moment, A-Yu. I will change into my official robes and then go to the mansion with you."

“Okay.” Zhuge Yu agreed. Fang Zilan glared at Mo Han, then quickly went back to her room to change into her official robes and went to the government office with Zhuge Yu.

Upon arriving at the government office, Fang Zilan looked at the mountain of official documents piled on her desk and felt a chill run down her spine. "So many?"

"The southeast region has suffered a great loss of vitality after this disaster, and the aftermath is quite complicated." Zhuge Yu deliberately dragged out the last syllable, "Sister Lan, you've worked hard."

Fang Zilan took the document at the top, but after reading only half of it, she said with a headache, "Ayu, we need money for the aftermath, but isn't allocating funds the Ministry of Revenue's responsibility? Why is it being pushed onto me?"

"The Ministry of Revenue returned the document on the grounds of unclear expenditures." Zhuge Yu's expression became slightly serious. "It may be necessary for you, Sister Lan, to make the trip in person."

Fang Zilan looked puzzled. "When did Lord Pei become so unreasonable?"

"Lord Pei Xiaoze is certainly reasonable, but Duke Jin is not so easy to talk to." Zhuge Yu lowered his eyes to look at the document in her hand and advised, "Sister Lan, please take another look carefully. You must not let the people from the Ministry of Revenue find any mistakes."

"The Duke of Jin is no longer the Minister of Revenue, yet he still manages to extend his influence so far?" Fang Zilan snorted coldly, but still patiently read through the document in her hand carefully.

The more she looked, the more her brows furrowed. "There are a few things here that are indeed questionable. I'll have someone verify them first, and if they're correct, I'll go to the Ministry of Revenue myself."

"Okay." Zhuge Yu nodded, then called in his subordinates and gave them instructions on what needed to be verified.

Fang Zilan quickly reviewed the documents on her desk and then assigned them to different people. By the time she finished, it was past noon. Feeling hungry, she was about to go out for something to eat when she saw Zhuge Yu bring in lunch.

Seeing this, she couldn't help but sigh softly, "Ayu, you are so thoughtful."

As Zhuge Yu placed lunch on the table, she remarked, "I thought that someone like A-Yu, the youngest child in the family, must have been treated like a precious treasure and raised with utmost care. I never imagined she would be so good at taking care of people."

"Among the Zhuge family members in the capital, besides my elder brother, there is only me in my generation." Zhuge Yu said indifferently, "My elder brother is often away, so naturally I have to take care of my grandfather and other elders at home. Over time, I've gotten used to it."

Fang Zilan keenly realized that she might have said something she shouldn't have, so she remained silent for a moment before speaking again, changing her tone: "Speaking of which, during the days I've been confined to my residence, the government office has accumulated a lot of official business, and I'm afraid we'll be busy for quite a while."

Zhuge Yu didn't reply, but just stared at her intently, until her hand holding the chopsticks stopped. "A-Yu?"