Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1723 Ordeal
For a time, everyone inside and outside the court was in a state of panic and unease. Only then did Murong Qing truly understand this game of chess. Using Fang Zilan's poisoning as bait and Mo Han's assassination as the line, he had actually caught so many fish.

It's unclear whether Li Shengxuan was going with the flow or had planned this all along. However, in his official decree, he made no mention of the Ghost Gate or the old guard from the previous dynasty, leading people to wonder what kind of supernatural means the Ghost Gate possessed that allowed them to remain completely uninvolved.

Or perhaps, Li Shengxuan deliberately concealed the truth to avoid alerting the enemy...

In these turbulent times, Murong Qing's only consolation was that although Fang Zilan hadn't died from the poison, she had been subjected to a barrage of criticism from the Censors. They accused her of being arrogant and domineering, abusing her power for personal gain, meddling in other people's business, bullying others, and using her rank to suppress the Prefectural Governor's Office... Every piece of information they could find, whether unsubstantiated or true, was written down by the censors.

As for the Prefectural Governor's Office, before it could even make a statement, it was overshadowed by the lively chatter of the common people. Some seized the opportunity to spread rumors, comparing the hardworking emperor of the capital to the ruthless Duke of Yue, making the stories quite detailed and even more outrageous, claiming that Fang Zilan wasn't staying at home due to illness, but rather because she was pregnant and unable to see anyone…

"Stop!" Fang Zilan impatiently interrupted Chu Bin's report. "How could they come up with such baseless accusations?"

"If anyone is to blame, it is Lord Fang for being too brave." Xiao Xuan'er covered her face and chuckled. "If it weren't for Lord Fang's outstanding military achievements and the peace and tranquility of recent years, the people wouldn't have such leisure time."

Fang Zilan pursed her lips, and before she could say anything, she heard Awan say while eating sunflower seeds, "But I don't think it's entirely unfounded..."

"I'm waiting for Lord Fang." Zhong Yao said, pouring a cup of tea and placing it in front of Fang Zilan, gesturing for her to enter.

Fang Zilan sat down opposite Zhong Yao without any formality, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and nodded, saying, "This tea is good."

Zhong Yao, now dressed in plain clothes, had lost his imposing presence in court and instead appeared more approachable. He smiled slightly and said, "Lord Fang, have you come to speak with me?"

"Since Lord Zhong guessed I would come, then why not guess what I want to say?" Fang Zilan said, placing her teacup on the table.

Zhong Yao poured her some tea, his smile undiminished. "Lord Fang is in such a hurry, yet you still have the leisure to play riddles with me. That's truly a refined taste."

“Lord Zhong, if a person is too clever, he will miss out on a lot of fun.” Fang Zilan shook her head helplessly. “My steward and his wife have both confessed that the missing Shangguan woman was sold to Huo Sanniang by them. The men who patronized Huo Sanniang’s prostitution business were not careful and killed her.”

"Is the lady in charge of the steward's house the same woman who stopped us on the road earlier?" Zhong Yao took a sip of tea, his nonchalant and unsurprised demeanor startling Fang Zilan for a moment before she realized what he meant. "You didn't already know..."

Fang Zilan didn't continue, but Zhong Yao nodded. "I already told Lord Fang in court that this matter needs your approval to be investigated."

"You're using me as a shield." Fang Zilan's expression darkened; she hadn't expected Zhong Yao to outmaneuver her.

Seeing her expression change, Zhong Yao also stopped smiling and said seriously, "Lord Fang is so impatient. Then may I ask you, Lord Fang, what do you think constitutes a good official?"

Zhong Yao suddenly changed his tone, which startled Fang Zilan.

Seeing that she didn't react, Zhong Yao continued, "A so-called 'parent official' should naturally think about the people. But has Lord Fang ever considered what the people are?" "Everyone in this world is a person," Fang Zilan replied casually.

Zhong Yao nodded approvingly, "Lord Fang is right. Since everyone is a commoner, then everyone in the noble families and grand mansions is naturally one as well."

Upon hearing this, A-Wan interjected with dissatisfaction, "How can people from aristocratic families be compared to ordinary people?"

“Why not?” Zhong Yao looked at Awan, who was frowning beside him, with great interest. She retorted, “People from aristocratic families are born to enjoy the status and prestige that comes with their family and to be looked up to by ordinary people. How can they be considered ordinary people?”

"Whether they benefit from the blessings of their ancestors or, like Lord Fang, rely on their own efforts, the contributions of aristocratic families to the world are inherently greater than those of ordinary people. Therefore, isn't it only natural that they should have a higher status? Just because of this, does Miss Awan think that aristocratic families cannot be considered ordinary people?"

Zhong Yao's rebuttal infuriated Awan. "That's just sophistry..."

"Awan, don't be temperamental in front of Lord Zhong." Fang Zilan interrupted their exchange. "I understand what Lord Zhong means. Between aristocratic families and ordinary people, we must weigh the pros and cons, is that right?"

“Not bad.” Zhong Yao refilled his teacup, his leisurely demeanor undoubtedly irritating Fang Zilan.

She snorted coldly and said, "It seems I misjudged Lord Zhong. I thought that since Lord Zhong came from humble origins, he would at least stand on the side of ordinary people. I didn't expect him to be nothing more than a lackey of powerful families, who would disregard human life for his own benefit."

"I thought I had made things clear with Lord Fang, but I didn't expect to be misunderstood instead." Zhong Yao chuckled. "When did I ever say I would disregard human life?"

When Zhong Yao changed his form of address, Fang Zilan suddenly realized that the person sitting opposite her might have originally wanted to set aside his status and open up to her, but she had pressed him so hard that he had built a high wall of his status to separate himself from her.

"As the prefect of Yanzhou, I have lived up to the Emperor's grace and the people's expectations. I will do my best as long as it is within the prefect's authority. But no matter how high the prefect's position is, there are always people he cannot control. Moreover, there are so many people in the northern border that I cannot possibly manage."

Zhong Yao spoke each word with utmost seriousness, “What I have done may be nothing more than self-preservation in Lord Fang’s eyes. But there are many things I can do but wait.”

"Waiting for what? Are you waiting until things get out of control before you step in to clean up the mess, or are you waiting until the person behind the scenes falls before you dare to deal with the remaining members?" Fang Zilan chuckled, her voice filled with undisguised contempt. "Since I've been dragged into this mess this time, I might as well be your shield again. Do whatever you find out. If anyone in the entire Northern Territory dares to obstruct me, I will kill them without mercy."

Her tone was sharp and filled with cruel killing intent, yet her appearance was solemn, like that of a god.

Looking at Fang Zilan, Zhong Yao felt a strong premonition that the Northern Territory was about to change.

Zhong Yao stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "I will do my utmost to fulfill Lord Fang's words."

(End of this chapter)