Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1770 Xiao Xiang
“If you were at Chungyeong Temple at that time, you would know that the Crown Prince’s wife was someone else.” Fang Zilan remained unmoved, but the man’s smile widened. “But I have seen the Crown Prince’s wife not only at Chungyeong Temple.”

He paused for a moment, then said, "The Crown Prince's wife is a woman of high status and may have forgotten that we met at Fu Congnan's birthday banquet."

"Is that so?" Fang Zilan sneered. "Are you sure that the person you saw was me, and that I am the Crown Prince's wife?"

"As long as you take off your veil..." The man began, but Fang Zilan interrupted him, "What a mad dog! You want to accuse me without any proof?"

“Miss Zixiu, I certainly wouldn’t dare to identify you, after all, everyone who saw your true face is dead.” The man waved his hand. “I just want to tell you that since we both have something on each other, why don’t we each take a step back?”

"What leverage?" Fang Zilan exerted a little force, and the plum blossom sword tore through the man's outer garment, leaving a bloody mark on his body.

“Miss Zixiu, you…” The man was about to say something, but Fang Zilan interrupted him, “You can spread these nonsense and see if anyone will believe them.”

She raised an eyebrow as she spoke, "I don't care, but I wonder if the Fang family of Dajing and the Zhongzheng Prince's Mansion of Miluo will let you off the hook?"

"Miss Zixiu, are you determined to make this a fight to the death?" The man looked displeased. Fang Zilan said calmly, "You are not the fish, and I am not the net, but if we fight, you will be the one who dies."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw a flash of silver light appear at the man's fingertips. She spun around to avoid it, and at the same time, flicked her sleeve to shake off the powder, knocking him down.

"Truly troublesome." Fang Zilan let out a long sigh of relief, using the plum blossom sword to support her body so that she could barely stand.

She paused for a while, then slowly walked deeper into the dark passage. Along the way, she encountered many servants carrying boxes, who all looked at her as if they had seen a ghost, and dropped their boxes and ran away.

Fang Zilan ignored them and simply followed the footprints they had left behind. However, the footprints soon disappeared. She could only rely on her intuition to keep going, and when she came to a fork in the road, she would randomly choose one to continue.

Whether it was good luck or because these forks in the road led in all directions and were not dead ends, she somehow managed to reach the exit, where she could faintly hear voices.

She gripped the plum blossom sword tightly, mustered her spirits, and climbed the steps, pushing aside the stone slab at the top. The room was pitch black; she squinted, and after her eyes adjusted, she suddenly felt that something looked familiar.

The interior layout and furnishings were exactly the same as what she had seen in the Wen family's side room before. Could it be that she had walked into the Wen family again?
Fang Zilan, her red dress tattered and her long hair disheveled, looked rather disheveled, yet she still stood tall and straight. Amidst the envious or disdainful gazes of those around her, she and Wei Mao calmly accepted the imperial decree bestowing this honor.

After the two men received the imperial decree and expressed their gratitude, Xiahou Zhang, on behalf of Li Shengxuan, announced the official end of the village opera.

As night fell, the crowds who had gathered to watch the opera dispersed like a tide, and the streets of the city returned to their usual bustling and prosperous state.

People strolled in twos and threes, some browsing the night market, others meeting up to admire the lanterns, creating a lively and bustling scene.

The red lanterns hanging high above the city gate were lit up one after another, illuminating the palace's vermilion tiles and the bustling streets, creating a festive atmosphere.

Fang Zilan originally intended to use her disheveled appearance as an excuse to return to her residence first, and then not show up at the New Year's Eve palace banquet. However, before she could even speak, Li Shengxuan saw through her plan.

As everyone gradually made their way to Wanfu Palace, he instructed Xiahou Zhang to take her to the Imperial Study under the pretext of tidying her clothes. She could not refuse, so she could only send Awan and Deputy General Cao back to their residences to wait for her.

The charcoal fire in the imperial study burned as brightly as ever, making the room warm and cozy, like a spring day. Fang Zilan relaxed her tense nerves and finally had time to check her wounds. Besides the cut on her hand from the sword during the struggle, she also had several cuts on her forearms and legs, though these were concealed by her red robes and were not noticeable. Furthermore, the darkness meant that no one noticed her injuries.

Just as Fang Zilan was examining her wound, Li Shengxuan entered. She quickly pulled up her sleeve to cover the wound, and as she prepared to rise and bow, he grabbed her wrist. "Is the injury serious?"

His gentle voice carried an obvious hint of urgency, which made her momentarily dazed. She quickly shook her head and said, "It's nothing, just minor injuries."

Li Shengxuan did not believe Fang Zilan's words. Without saying a word, he pulled open her sleeve and said, "Let me see."

She suddenly broke free from his grasp, lowered her sleeves, took a step back, and stood still, saying, "Men and women should not touch each other. What is Your Majesty doing?"

Li Shengxuan's hand froze in mid-air, and he said blankly, at a loss, "I... saw it all from the city wall. You are badly injured."

Fang Zilan looked at him with amusement, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Your Majesty cares about me?"

Li Shengxuan silently lowered his hand without replying.

Fang Zilan pressed her advantage, moving closer to him with a beaming smile, and said, "I understand Your Majesty's intentions."

"Know what?" Li Shengxuan's expression turned cold for a moment.

Although it was only for a moment, Fang Zilan still managed to capture it keenly.

She subtly increased the distance between them and smiled, saying, "Whatever Your Majesty wants me to know, I will know."

"Never mind." Li Shengxuan sighed helplessly. "It was my oversight that you got injured. But the New Year's opera has far-reaching implications. Although the people in charge are Prince Yucheng and the Ministry of Rites, the Empress Dowager and various powerful figures in the court are behind them. I can't touch the noble young masters and high-ranking officials who are participating. I can only ask you to make do."

Fang Zilan was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Your Majesty invited me here just to talk about this?"

She regretted her words as soon as they were spoken, but Li Shengxuan nodded without any reaction and asked in return, "Otherwise what? What did you think I wanted to say to you?"

"It's nothing." Fang Zilan shook her head. "I just think that it would be best if His Majesty would stand up for me and give me justice. However, I also know that since these people are so audacious as to take action in front of everyone, they must have something to rely on and be fearless. I think His Majesty will not stand up for me."

She paused, her expression softening slightly, revealing an innate aloofness and arrogance. "If I encounter something like this again, Your Majesty need not tell me if you cannot do anything for me. After all, I am used to being alone and never need anyone to do anything for me. I will handle my own affairs."

"You..." Li Shengxuan was speechless for a moment, then finally stammered, "I just..."

He opened his mouth, but swallowed back the words of concern he was about to say.

Worrying about being powerless is nothing but hypocrisy.