Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1752 Fear
Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Zhuge Yu's deep voice came from outside the tent, "The imperial edict has arrived."

Fang Zilan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the man laughed out loud, "Lord Fang, I thought you had some great ability to ask me for people, but it turns out you're just using His Majesty's power to bully me."

Fang Zilan stared intently as Zhuge Yu's figure appeared in the tent, then turned her gaze to him and said in a clear, cold voice, "It is true that I rely on His Majesty's power, but that does not mean I am bullying others. Today, I am asking His Majesty for permission only to tell Lord Wei that there is no one in this world who can truly do whatever they want."

Zhuge Yu held the imperial edict and stood in the center of the tent, his expression cold and hard, unlike anything Fang Zilan had ever seen.

Without glancing to the side, he looked directly at the person in the main seat and asked in a cold voice, "Lord Wei, where is Deputy General Cao now?"

Only then did Fang Zilan notice that, unlike Zhuge Yu's hostile arrival, the man deliberately restrained his aura, and the oppressive aura dissipated, replaced by a fleeting look of astonishment.

Fang Zilan's intuition told her that the man's change did not stem from the imperial edict, but from the person who delivered it.

At this moment, she had no time to care about his entanglement with Zhuge Yu; her mind was only on Vice General Cao, and she didn't think too much about it.

She was completely relieved when he had someone bring up Deputy General Cao and saw that he was unharmed.

Zhuge Yu, holding the imperial edict, walked unhurriedly to the man, bent down and placed the edict on the table, then straightened up and said, "His Majesty's edict is here. Does Lord Wei have anything else to say?"

The man seemed not to have heard him, and asked uncertainly, "Are you from the Zhuge family, Zhuge Yu?"

"Yes," Zhuge Yu replied, still maintaining his indifferent, businesslike demeanor. "Besides Deputy General Cao, the soldiers from Lord Fang's residence will also be taken from the camp outside the capital. As for the procedures, Lord Wei knows what to do."

As soon as Zhuge Yu finished speaking, he chuckled deeply, "You actually helped Lord Fang by requesting an imperial decree to ask me for people. Interesting."

His continued indifference caused Zhuge Yu's face to darken, and he said coldly, "Wei Mao, I don't have my elder brother's good temper, nor am I very patient. Let's skip the pleasantries. Once you've received the imperial decree, I'll go back to report."

Fang Zilan stared blankly at Zhuge Yu, whose eyes held a barely perceptible hint of ferocity, revealing an unprecedented suppressed anger.

Wei Mao raised an eyebrow slightly, and said listlessly, "Okay."

He picked up the imperial edict from the table, glanced at it casually, and said, "Lord Fang, please feel free to choose whomever you wish. Once you've chosen, have Wei Wei register them. I have official duties to attend to, so I cannot accompany you." With that, he tossed the edict onto the table, got up, and left.

After Wei Mao left, Zhuge Yu turned and left. Fang Zilan couldn't figure out his thoughts, but she could sense that he didn't want to stay a moment longer.

So she immediately told Vice General Cao to stay behind and select people, while she chased after Zhuge Yu's retreating figure out of the tent, calling out, "Ayu, wait for me!"

Zhuge Yu stopped but did not turn around. He said indifferently, "Sister Lan, I still have to report to His Majesty. I'll take my leave now."

His unprecedented rudeness, tinged with impatience, made Fang Zilan hesitate, afraid to approach and ask why. She stood there, watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, feeling as if she had done something wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She searched her memory repeatedly, but found no rumors of animosity between Wei Ang and the Zhuge family. On the contrary, everyone in the capital knew that Wei Ang and Zhuge Yu's elder brother, Zhuge Ming, had a good personal relationship.

Recalling what Zhuge Yu had just said—that he didn't have Zhuge Ming's good temper—could it be that the one at odds with Wei Ang wasn't the Zhuge family, but Zhuge Yu alone?
But given Zhuge Yu's nature of valuing the country above all else, why would he become enemies with someone like Wei Mao, who defends the borders and fights on the battlefield?
"Boss!" Deputy General Cao's voice suddenly rang out behind Fang Zilan, and she turned around as if waking from a dream, "Have you picked all the people?"

"I've chosen..." Deputy General Cao stammered, hesitating to continue, "Boss, why did you bring Young Master Zhuge along? He..."

Fang Zilan composed herself and said, "Never mind, let's talk about it back at the manor."

“I want a place that belongs to me,” Fang Zilan answered without hesitation, only to see the two people in front of her pause in surprise. The King of Xiang asked with a strange expression, “Is this what you want?”

“That’s right. I will come to collect my reward after Your Highness ascends the throne.” Fang Zilan looked at the two of them, wondering to herself where she had said something wrong and why they both had such expressions. She forced herself to continue, “Now, I would like to ask Your Highness to tell me what you want me to do.”

"Do you know the late emperor's last edict?" Prince Xiang asked quietly. Fang Zilan was taken aback and subconsciously replied, "Is Your Highness referring to the last emperor's edict that passed the throne to you?"

"That's right, I want you to steal this imperial edict and announce it to the world." The Prince of Xiang said this, and Fang Zilan felt puzzled. Everyone in the world knew about the late emperor's edict, so why did the Prince of Xiang now want her to steal it and announce it to the world?
"I know what you're thinking. Everyone in the world knows, but no one has ever seen it. Things that haven't been seen can be nonexistent." The Prince of Xiang's voice carried a hint of coldness, but it instantly resolved Fang Zilan's doubts.

She couldn't help but ask, "Are these the Empress Dowager's conditions?"

“You are indeed clever.” The Prince of Xiang’s lips curled slightly. “But regardless of whether it is the Empress Dowager’s condition or not, this edict must be in my hands.”

"Your Highness trusts me to steal something so important?" Fang Zilan smiled slightly, and the Prince of Xiang's smile widened. "If I weren't forced to, I wouldn't trust you either."

Fang Zilan's smile froze for a moment. She had anticipated the Prince of Xiang's answer, but she hadn't expected it to be this one. "Your Highness is gambling with your life and fortune. Aren't you afraid of losing everything?"

“Not only am I gambling, but you are too.” King Xiang looked at the person in front of him calmly, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him. “You call yourself the best in the world. If you fail, you will be disgraced and may even lose your life. Your stakes in this game are no smaller than mine.”

“Since Your Highness has already placed your bet, what harm is there in me joining you in this round?” Fang Zilan smiled broadly, her confident demeanor reassuring both of them.

A smile crept across the King of Xiang's lips. "You're quite confident."

The words were exactly the same, but the previous ones sounded more like jokes, while this one carried a stronger sense of trust and shared destiny.

(End of this chapter)