Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1753 Encirclement and Suppression
“Mr. Liu, my father spent a fortune to buy information from Qianjinfang, and the money was returned intact. This proves that Qianjinfang definitely didn’t know about this. Do you still think it’s fake?” Huo Chun’er replied impatiently. Mr. Liu stammered, “That’s not what I meant…”

"Miss Huo, what exactly do you want to say?" Fang Zilan interrupted Mr. Liu. Since it concerned King Chu Bin, she found it difficult to remain completely calm.

"Many people went missing during that raid, including the eldest disciple of the Huo family of the Sword Sect, the senior brother who was about to inherit my father's mantle. They all disappeared." Huo Chun'er lowered her voice and said, "Therefore, my father spent a lot of money to ask Qianjinfang for answers, but unexpectedly, Qianjinfang could not give an answer either."

Fang Zilan's expression was inscrutable. Since Chu Bin's disappearance, Qianjinfang had been investigating, but there had been no news, so they had not given her a detailed report on the circumstances of the disappearance.

Hearing Huo Chun'er's words, she realized that Chu Bin wasn't the only one who went missing; many other disciples from various sects had also disappeared. This suggested that it wasn't impossible for some unknown force to be secretly at work.

However, what kind of dark and murky place must this force be that even Qianjinfang couldn't find? Even if she did find it, it would be difficult for her to escape unscathed.

But... Mo Han is dead, and if it's Chu Bin...

Fang Zilan dared not think any further. She accepted the fact that she could not protect everyone around her, but if she did not even know whether they were alive or dead, what was the point of such uncertainty?
"Miss Zhen, are you listening?" Huo Chun'er waved her hand in front of Fang Zilan's eyes, and she snapped out of her daze. "What?"

“I’ll tell you,” Huo Chun’er deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her voice rising a few notches, “A few days ago, my father finally found out where they were last seen.”

"Where is it?" Fang Zilan grasped Huo Chun'er's wrist, and stammered somewhat helplessly, "It's on the way to Suzhou Prefecture, not far from Zuiyue Tower."

"What did you say?" Fang Zilan asked in disbelief, tightening her grip and making Huo Chun'er wince. "Miss Zhen, you're so strong, you're hurting me."

"How could this be..." Fang Zilan released her grip, staggered two steps as if all her strength had been drained, and murmured, "This is impossible..."

"Since Lord Fang wants me to speak frankly, then I will not hold back." Zhuge Yu's voice revealed suppressed anger. "During the spring hunt, Lord Fang insisted on shooting and injuring Censor Chen Xu, which served as a warning to all the officials in the Censorate. Afterwards, I don't know who continued to pressure them, causing the officials in the Censorate to dare not offer advice casually, especially not to mention high-ranking military officers, for fear that if another arrow were to hit them, it would not be their shoulders, but their heads."

Fang Zilan seemed lost in thought and remained silent. Seeing this, Zhuge Yu continued speaking to himself, "Now that Prince Rong'an and the Princess have come to the capital to discuss marriage, because the Empress Dowager's decree before leaving the capital stated that Princess Rong'an should remain in the capital after her marriage, some people in the court have started to think that since Princess Rong'an is staying in the capital to exert control, it shouldn't be a problem for Prince Rong'an to use the white jade tiger tally to stand on equal footing with a certain duke in the capital."

He snorted coldly as he spoke, "I wonder if the officials of the Censorate submitted this remonstrance because they were instigated by others, or because they made up their own minds."

The "Duke" mentioned by Zhuge Yu was naturally referring to Duke Fang Zilan of Yue. Seated in the hall, she understood his anger and knew the source of his rage. If the White Jade Tiger Tally had truly fallen into the hands of Prince Rong'an, the southeast would likely be far from peaceful. And all of this stemmed from the arrow she shot at Chen Xu, which had been manipulated by someone with ulterior motives, stirring up fear and resentment among the officials of the Censorate, and perhaps other courtiers, turning it into a weapon to retaliate against her.

As for the so-called person with ulterior motives, she could probably guess that it was Ji Ningtian from the Ghost Gate. He thrived on chaos, and moreover…

Li Shengxuan's protection of her had probably exceeded everyone's expectations. Neither Ji Ningtian nor the court officials, nor even she herself, had imagined that such an act as shooting and injuring the censor would be so easily dismissed by Li Shengxuan.

For some reason, she had a vague premonition that the current situation was not in Ji Ningtian's expectations. If she continued to sit idly by and let things develop, he would find a way to eliminate her.

After all, Ji Ningtian's initial plan was for her to become someone who could shake Li Shengxuan's resolve, but only if she remained the sword of the Ghost Gate. Now, however, she has not only become someone Li Shengxuan indulges and pampers, but also the sword protecting Dajing.

The gesture was more substantial, but the sentiment had changed. Why would Ji Ningtian keep her?
"It seems Lord Fang understands the situation." Zhuge Yu stared intently at the silent man before him, a look of disappointment and frustration on his face. "I don't understand why you..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence, and after a long pause, he said in a muffled voice, "Sister Lan, do you think that standing by and watching doesn't count as aiding and abetting evil?"

"Then what does A-Yu expect from me?" Fang Zilan changed her form of address and sighed softly. "At the beginning of Emperor Tai'an's reign, he made an exception for the former officials. What do you think was the reason, A-Yu? Was it for the sake of his reputation for benevolence?"

Before Zhuge Yu could answer, Fang Zilan continued, "The influence of the previous dynasty is deeply entrenched, especially among the military. Countless people in the capital's army have ties to the previous dynasty. Even after three generations, under Your Majesty's rule, no one in the army dares to say they have no connection to the previous dynasty. They followed the Li family back then, but who can guarantee they won't change their allegiance one day? Moreover, Princess Wuqing is still alive. No matter what, she is a symbol in the hearts of the former dynasty's loyalists. If we rashly cut her down, you should know better than I what the consequences would be."

"Chaos reigns in the capital, and neighboring regions, hearing the news, are stirring up trouble and launching a counterattack. War rages on, and the people are suffering." Zhuge Yu slowly closed his eyes and continued, "The prosperous era that has been painstakingly built up over three generations by countless people will vanish in an instant."

Fang Zilan pursed her lips, a hint of reluctance in her eyes. "Ayu, I'm telling you this not as an excuse to shirk responsibility, but because it's the truth, and there's no room for negotiation..."

"Just because it's the truth, does Lord Fang intend to just let it go and drift with the tide?" Zhuge Yu interrupted Fang Zilan sharply, his expression more solemn than ever before. "If you eat the emperor's food, you should share the emperor's burdens; if you use the people's money, you should speak up for the people. Otherwise, what is the point of being an official?"

Does it have any meaning? Fang Zilan suddenly curled her lips and picked up the teacup beside her. "Lord Zhuge's words are worthy of my toast."

Zhuge Yu watched as Fang Zilan drank it all in one gulp, then stood up, straightened his sleeves, and bowed solemnly to him. "Please rest assured, Lord Zhuge, I will do my best to fight for the White Jade Tiger Tally. Even if it doesn't end up in my hands, it will never fall into the hands of Prince Rong'an."