Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1750 Evil Man
Fang Zilan picked up her teacup, took a sip of water, and said happily, "It's so great to have festivals, banquets, fun activities, and appreciation. Why worry about so much?"

“I’ve noticed you’ve become quite carefree lately.” A-Wan picked up a melon seed, and Fang Zilan smiled. “After a few more brushes with death, I guarantee your heart will be even bigger than mine.”

Awan shook her head and said, "Who can compare to you..."

"Eat fewer melon seeds, they're too hot." Fang Zilan said, handing Awan's teacup to her. "Drink tea. And you too, Lao Cao, drink more tea."

“Boss, I can do it myself.” Deputy General Cao drank several cups of tea in a row. Mo Han poured tea for him while saying, “Deputy General Cao, drink slowly, be careful it’s hot.”

Vice General Cao put down his teacup, and before he could speak, the steward rushed in again. "Lord Fang, someone from the palace said that relatives and attendants may be brought, but the number of relatives and attendants cannot exceed six."

"I understand," Fang Zilan replied. The butler then asked, "Young Master Fang has arrived. Shall we invite him in?"

"Young Master Fang?" Fang Zilan was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant. "Young Master Fang Lihui? Please invite him in."

A moment later, the butler led Fang Lihui over. When Fang Lihui saw Fang Zilan, he was about to bow when she stopped him, saying, "Young Master Fang, there's no need for such formalities between us."

"Since Lord Fang puts it that way, then I won't stand on ceremony." Fang Lihui said, and sat down in the empty seat with a graceful demeanor.

After gesturing for the steward to leave, Fang Zilan asked, "Young Master Fang, what brings you here today?"

Fang Lihui coughed lightly, "To be honest, I've come here today for this year's money."

"Tell me, how much grace do you want this time?" Fang Zilan seemed very easy to talk to. Fang Lihui pursed his lips and said pitifully, "Two years, is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, A-Wan choked on her tea and coughed a few times. "Young Master Fang, aren't you going too far?"

Fang Zilan took a sip of tea and calmly asked, "How much money did the Fang family contribute to the Battle of Miluo?"

Fang Lihui remained silent. Fang Zilan glanced at him and said, "I heard from Miss Ouyang that the Fang family sold the jade mine?"

Fang Lihui sighed softly and said, "The jade mine was originally under my uncle's name and was not considered part of the Fang family's property. After my uncle sold it, he donated it to the national treasury in the name of the Empress."

"Her Majesty the Empress donated a jade mine, so the Fang family will only receive more, not less." Fang Zilan was well aware of the situation and said calmly, "Is it worth it for the Fang family to suffer such a heavy blow just to gain the title of Imperial Merchant?"

"Lord Fang, you don't understand, do you?" Fang Lihui smiled slightly and shook his folding fan, saying, "With the title of Imperial Merchant, the Fang family's business will be a true golden brand, unmatched by anyone in the world."

Fang Zilan remained noncommittal, saying, "Seven-tenths of the world's business is in the hands of the Fang family. Young Master Fang, what do you mean by lying to me?" Fang Zilan followed Fang Ziqin into the inner courtyard, secretly pondering along the way, fearing that her sister's tea-drinking was just a pretense, and that she really had something to say.

But what would he say to her? Would he reveal her true identity or test her purpose in following the Prince of Xiang? She thought and thought, but she had no clue what to do.

The original owner of Fang Zilan's body had the deepest impression of her eldest sister, Fang Ziqin, when she was twelve years old and was ordered by her second sister, Fang Zitong, to go to the garden to look at the flowers.

Fang Zitong said that the tribute peonies were precious and that she had to watch over them day and night, which was clearly bullying her.

She had assumed that Fang Ziqin would side with Fang Zitong to bully her, the unloved scapegoat of the Fang family, or simply pretend not to see or care. To her surprise, Fang Ziqin reprimanded Fang Zitong with just a few words, and even went so far as to confront her father, Fang Chongzheng, revealing the truth without any attempt to conceal it. This only fueled Fang Zitong's resentment towards her further after Fang Zitong was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall.

Even now, Fang Zilan can't figure out whether Fang Ziqin acted out of kindness or intentionally. In the past, she certainly wouldn't have thought so much and would have assumed it was the former, but now…

As she thought this, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Miss Xiu, are you sighing because you think I punished you too harshly?" Fang Ziqin's voice rang in her ears, pulling her back from her wandering thoughts. "This is the Princess's family matter, I dare not say more."

"You haven't changed at all." Fang Ziqin smiled faintly. "To put it nicely, you're indifferent to worldly affairs; to put it bluntly, you're clueless. Sometimes I wonder what it is that you really care about?"

“I don’t quite understand what the princess is saying, but I know very well that there are very few truly indifferent and detached people in this world, at least I am not one of them.” Fang Zilan said, taking the teacup that Fang Ziqin handed over, watching the wisps of white steam rising from it, and continued involuntarily, “It’s just that some people are already struggling to protect themselves, let alone care about anything else.”

“If you really wanted to protect yourself, you wouldn’t have hesitated to speak just now.” Fang Ziqin placed the teacup she was holding on the table and stared intently at the person in front of her. “You’re just overestimating yourself by trying to protect others, but you don’t even have the ability to protect yourself.”

“Protecting yourself isn’t something you can only do by hurting others.” Fang Zilan’s expression turned colder. “The princess is high and mighty; she naturally doesn’t know the hardships of ants trying to survive.”

"Since you know it's difficult, you should behave yourself." Fang Ziqin's smile faded considerably. "Do you know what the consequences would have been if I had let those two girls go? Public opinion is a fearsome thing. Perhaps by tomorrow, the news that His Highness the Prince of Xiang has lost the Emperor's favor will spread throughout the capital. In these unstable times, with people's hearts in turmoil, who knows what might happen? If you want to maintain the high position you speak of, it's not something that can be achieved with just a few nice words."

"Your Highness has excellent methods, I admire you greatly." Fang Zilan's lips curled slightly, her smile cold and indifferent. "It's just a pity about those two little girls."

“I know you’re not happy about it. Oh well, that’s just how you are.” Fang Ziqin said, picking up a teacup from the table and taking a sip. “But let me remind you, be careful when working for His Highness, and don’t cause him any trouble.”

Fang Zilan was somewhat puzzled. From Fang Ziqin's first words, she knew that Fang Ziqin was certain that she was Fang Zilan of the Fang family—her third younger sister. She had thought that Fang Ziqin would try to find out her purpose indirectly, but instead, she told her not to cause trouble for Prince Xiang. This made her a little impatient, and she couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness is so concerned about Prince Xiang, doesn't she want to know why I am by his side?"

“Your Highness has his reasons for doing things. I just need to do my job. What others do is none of my business,” Fang Ziqin answered readily, which surprised Fang Zilan for a moment.

(End of this chapter)