Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1724 Rumors
"What is the young master's wife thinking about?" Miss Dugu's voice pulled Fang Zilan back to reality. She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just thinking about what to do next."

Upon hearing this, Miss Dugu looked ashamed, "I..."

She opened her mouth, but seeing that Fang Zilan showed neither blame nor comfort, she said directly, "If there is anything I can do, please feel free to ask, Madam."

"If needed, I won't hesitate," Fang Zilan agreed, then said, "It's getting late, let's go back so as not to worry people."

"Wait a moment." Miss Dugu pointed to a pastry shop on the street. "My daughter likes bean cakes. I'll go buy some and then come back."

Fang Zilan hesitated for a moment, then agreed, "Alright, I'll go with you."

Miss Dugu forced a smile, "I've already troubled the young master's wife for so long today, so I won't bother her with such a small matter..."

“Miss Dugu.” Fang Zilan composed herself and said in a deep voice, “These are turbulent times. I hope you will take good care of yourself.”

Miss Dugu lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you, Madam, in any case."

Fang Zilan watched Miss Dugu quietly for a while before letting go of her hand and leaving without looking back.

Miss Dugu watched Fang Zilan's retreating figure, her hand clenched into a fist hidden in her sleeve. Things had come to this point; there was no turning back.

"Truly stubborn and incorrigible." Fang Zilan, hiding in the street corner, sighed as she spoke.

“Lady, she is my sister.” Dugu Ming’s voice came from behind Fang Zilan. “No matter what you want to do, I will make sure she gets out of here unscathed.”

“A brave man cuts off his own arm, but there is a right way to choose.” Fang Zilan glanced sideways at her. “If the Dugu family is to live, then she cannot live.”

"I don't accept the method of sacrificing one person to save many lives," Dugu Ming said in a deep voice. "I will find other..."

Fang Zilan's face turned cold. "Young General Dugu, if you want to deceive yourself, I won't stop you."

Dugu Ming stepped forward and questioned, "I'm deceiving myself? Madam, from the very beginning, you never intended to help her..."

“Yes.” Fang Zilan interrupted Dugu Ming. “I have my own demands for the truth. As for that, what do the lives of others have to do with me?”

"You!" Dugu Ming glared angrily, but Fang Zilan met his gaze. "Young General Dugu, I had no intention of helping you. If you can't find the mastermind behind the two assassination attempts, the Dugu family will be exposed sooner or later."

She scoffed, "At that time, you can't guarantee who will escape unscathed."

Dugu Ming took a deep breath, "Princess Consort, just you wait and see. Neither my sister nor the Dugu family will escape unscathed." Awan tugged at Fang Zilan's sleeve, "Who spread these rumors? It's just hearsay, and people actually believe it?"

Fang Zilan ignored her and instead raised her voice, saying to the soldiers outside, "Silence! What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket!"

As soon as she said this, the soldiers outside gradually quieted down. She said, "I have not contracted the plague, and not everyone inside has contracted it either. Moreover, the plague is not incurable. Not only have many people who were infected with the plague been cured, but there are also many more innocent people who are not infected and are doing their best to help. So, you don't need to panic."

"Lord Fang, is what you said... true?" one of the soldiers asked hesitantly. The soldiers standing next to him nudged him with their elbows, signaling him not to talk nonsense.

Fang Zilan smiled slightly, "Of course it's true. If you have relatives among them, you'll be reunited with them soon."

Hearing her say this, most of the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. Some soldiers immediately said they would definitely take her words back, but others hesitated because she had destroyed the fence.

"Rest assured, everyone, I will wait for them here. I will not step out of this place for three days," Fang Zilan said calmly. "But if they still haven't come after three days, then I will have to go out and administer military law to them myself."

Her tone was casual, yet it clearly carried a sense of coercion. Upon hearing this, the soldiers outside immediately turned and left, leaving not a single one of the guards behind.

Awan watched their retreating figures and asked with a hint of doubt, "Will these soldiers relay your message? Even if they do, what if Prince Rong'an deliberately delays Lord Su and Vice General Cao, preventing them from arriving?"

“Let’s wait three days. If Su Yun and Lao Cao can’t come, I’ll go find them directly.” Fang Zilan said matter-of-factly, but Awan was taken aback. “You really want to…”

Before she could finish speaking, she abruptly changed the subject, "Whether you have contracted the plague or not, once you leave here, you will be a scourge that everyone avoids like the plague. Not to mention if Prince Rong'an uses this opportunity to make a big fuss and let the plague spread, then you will be the culprit who will be unable to explain yourself no matter how hard you try."

"So what?" Fang Zilan retorted, "Are we just going to let Prince Rong'an control everything? Even if I want to protect the Mo family, this isn't the way to do it. If I keep compromising and backing down, Prince Rong'an won't stop there; he'll only push his luck."

Awan bit her lip as she listened to her continue, "I didn't report the pirate invasion to the capital truthfully, and I didn't mention the plague outbreak at all because I had no evidence. However, my silence did not make Prince Rong'an behave himself; instead, he thought I was weak and easy to bully. Now he wants to set a huge fire and burn me down with him. Now that things have come to this, how can I let him have his way? Even if it means causing chaos and being shattered to pieces, I will drag him down with me."

“But…” Awan hesitated for a moment, but finally said, “I always feel that you can’t defeat Prince Rong’an. At most, a lose-lose situation would be the best outcome.”

Fang Zilan stared at her intently, her expression calm. "Why?"

“You need to protect the Mo family, and everyone here, so you would never risk either of them. But Prince Rong’an is different from you.” Awan paused. “Neither the Mo family nor everyone here matters to him. As long as he can achieve his goal, he will eliminate them at will.”

Her expression darkened slightly as she spoke, "I know you understand these principles better than I do, but you've already risked everything to protect the people of the Northern Border once. This time, I certainly can't dissuade you."

After hearing her words, Fang Zilan suddenly curled her lips and chuckled, "Our little Awan has grown up."

Awan looked at her with a puzzled expression, only to see her smile widen. "This time is different from last time. Last time I was all alone, this time I have allies."