Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1725 Succession
Qi Yuming couldn't help but chuckle. "Lord Fang came to see me, surely not just to see what I looked like when I was imprisoned?"

Qi Yuming's calm and unhurried demeanor made Fang Zilan smile. "Of course not."

Qi Yuming stopped smiling and said bluntly, "Lord Fang, please speak your mind."

"I came here to see if you, Qi Yuming, are worth sparing my life," Fang Zilan said bluntly. Qi Yuming was taken aback for a moment. "Lord Fang, you're going to protect me?"

“It depends on you.” Fang Zilan said as she sat down in front of Qi Yuming. “The Qi family has been in the Northern Territory for many years. If we’re talking about understanding the Northern Territory, apart from the Shangguan family, your Qi family is probably the best.”

"The Shangguan family only has two children left, so..." Qi Yuming paused, then changed the subject, "Is Lord Fang trying to win people's hearts?"

"No, it's both a favor and a transaction." Fang Zilan raised her eyes to examine the person in front of her, and said word by word, "If I save your life, you will owe me a favor. From now on, the Northern Border will be loyal to me, and that will be a transaction."

"Lord Fang, you should know that I never believe in promises made out of thin air." Qi Yuming's lips curled slightly. "Since it's a transaction, Lord Fang should at least show some sincerity."

"Qi Yuming, your life is at my mercy. What right do you have to negotiate with me?" Fang Zilan raised an eyebrow slightly, but Qi Yuming only smiled, showing no sign of backing down. "The sincerity I want is very simple. Fang Zilan, just who are you?"

"What do you mean?" Fang Zilan feigned ignorance, but Qi Yuming pressed on, "The daughter of the Fang family, or a sword in the hands of the current emperor?"

"It is true that my surname is Fang, and it is also true that I have no connection with the Fang family that everyone knows. I am the sword in His Majesty's hand, the Lord of the Northern Border, and one of the Nine Great Ministers, the Duke of the Northern Kingdom, Fang Zilan." Fang Zilan's expression was indifferent, and her tone was calm and undisturbed. "Are you satisfied with this answer, Qi Yuming?"

Qi Yuming stared intently at the person in front of him, trying to find a flaw in her. But she was too calm, as if she were talking about something perfectly ordinary, without any emotional fluctuation, which only made him seem more aggressive.

After a long while, Qi Yuming spoke again: "Alright, may I ask, Lord Fang, what makes you so confident in saving my life?"

"His Majesty has spared more than one or two former officials from the previous dynasty." Fang Zilan sneered. "Qi Yuming, you're so smart, you can't be unaware of this. As long as you behave yourself in the future, His Majesty will give you a way out."

“But this matter is different.” Qi Yuming said in a serious tone, “A dragon has its reverse scales, and those who touch them die. Military power is His Majesty’s reverse scale. Once the charge of mobilizing troops without authorization is attached, there is no way to get rid of it.”

"Who said I was going to exonerate you?" Fang Zilan straightened her sleeves, brushing away the dust. "The favor I mentioned was just to spare your life. You may escape the death penalty, but you can't escape punishment. Qi Yuming, you'd better watch yourself." After she finished speaking, she stood up and left the tent where Qi Yuming was being held.

Qi Yuming bowed behind her, seeing her off with a hint of ambiguity in his expression.

What's meant to happen will happen eventually. If he can actually keep his life, it will be much better than he expected.

Fang Zilan made the promise readily, but in her heart she was racking her brains for a way to save Qi Yuming's life.

If she guessed correctly, Huangfu Lin and Zhong Yao would definitely submit a petition to plead for Qi Yuming.

The saying goes, "Three men can make a tiger." If she were to also petition for mercy, Li Shengxuan would surely have some doubts, and it wouldn't be impossible for him to simply issue an edict to kill Qi Yuming.

However, if she were to submit a memorial strongly demanding the execution of Qi Yuming, even going so far as to exterminate his entire clan, with vehement words, Li Shengxuan might actually prefer to spare Qi Yuming. After all, keeping a pawn for checks and balances is far more useful than eliminating him personally. Fang Zilan said earnestly, "The Prince of Rong'an left behind a chaotic situation in the southeast, a mess that has brought disaster to the country and its people. I want to try and at least clear it up."

"You?" Cheng Ziming laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Your current identity is nothing more than the wife of the loyal prince of Miluo, a hostage accompanying him."

Fang Zilan didn't care at all. "So what? If I don't try, I won't be at peace even if I die."

She looked at Cheng Ziming with an almost defiant expression, "Is there anything you can't do, anything you'd rather die than do?"

Cheng Zhiming was stunned for a moment before lowering his head and muttering, "Of course there is."

That year, he volunteered to become the military advisor of Prince Rong'an. In the years that followed, his influence was felt in both the peaceful and prosperous and the turbulent times in the southeast.

He was not content with hiding behind Prince Rong'an and pointing fingers at the country; he only wanted to set foot in the capital and control the entire situation of the capital. However, he never expected that Fang Zilan would appear out of nowhere, ruining everything and burying all his hard work.

He longed to drink her blood and devour her flesh, so after figuring out who Fang Zilan really was, he secretly plotted and finally waited for the day when he would see her return to the southeast.

This time, she wasn't the former Duke of Yue of Dajing, but merely the wife of a prince without any official rank or title. The Fang family behind her had also fallen from grace after Fang Chongzheng resigned from his post. Logically, she should have been a pushover, but unexpectedly, she proved to be more assertive than anyone else.

Because she was more willing to risk everything than anyone else, all his plans over the years were reduced to ashes. In the southeast, the Prince of Rong'an had passed away, and Qian Wenxiang, Cheng Zhiyan, Fu Congnan, Dugu Linxiu, the head of the Wu family, Lord Liu, and even Xiahou Yunzhao had all been imprisoned.

How many people have fallen, and how many more have been drawn in? Yu Chengwang, Pei Xiaozhe, Su Yun, and Zhuge Yu are all deeply entangled in it, unable to extricate themselves.

Both powerful families and those from humble backgrounds were involved. He originally thought that the law could not punish the masses, let alone the intricate relationships behind the power, so things should have come to an end at this point. However, Fang Zilan always managed to stir things up until they became unmanageable.

Fear and resentment mingled within him, making it difficult for him to decide whether he wanted to deal with Fang Zilan or extricate himself from the situation, since as long as he survived, he could always find a way to rebuild.

But now, provoked by Fang Zilan, he had some thoughts again—since we haven't reached the end of our rope yet, why not fight again? The outcome is still uncertain.

Fang Zilan looked at Cheng Zhiming, whose expression was complicated, and chuckled, "It seems you haven't given up yet, then I can rest assured."

She left those words behind and departed without looking back.

Wan Jun, who had been waiting outside, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Fang Zilan come out. He followed her out of the manor and then asked, "How did your talk with Cheng Zhiming go?"

"That's good." Fang Zilan nodded slightly. "As long as they don't stop, they'll eventually be caught."

Wan Jun's expression was solemn. "I'm afraid too many people will get involved, and they'll be scared."