Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1786 Indifference
In the turbulent capital city, there is always a culture of praising the powerful and belittling the weak. Once someone loses power, those around them will also fall into an abyss of no return, unable to recover.

The officials, led by the Censorate, finally seized the opportunity and submitted memorials for several days to impeach Fang Zilan, demanding not only severe punishment but also the idea of ​​implicating others.

As everyone knows, Fang Zilan's only acknowledged relative is Mo Han, and behind Mo Han is the family of Mo Bin, the garrison commander of Mushan Pass. Even if the entire Mo clan were wiped out, the impact on the court would be like throwing a stone into the sea, unable to cause much of a ripple.

The court officials then turned their attention to those around Fang Zilan, from General Li and Protector Qi who guarded the northern border, to Zhou Lang, the head of the southeastern camp, and even Cao Hong, who had just left the capital. They all became their targets.

Like a mad dog that has caught the scent of meat, it rushes forward and bites indiscriminately, caring little for what it might gain. What matters is that the original beneficiaries must be torn apart.

As the ruler of the capital, Li Shengxuan had lived in the palace city of the capital since childhood and was already used to such scenes.

As everyone knows, wildfires cannot burn them all; they will spring up again with the spring breeze. Therefore, only by cutting off the weeds at the root can we achieve a permanent solution.

But is this really the case? For every person who falls into the abyss, another stands atop the mountain; the higher one stands, the more likely one is to become the target of everyone's covetousness. This applies to the royal family, and it also applies to court officials.

Once Fang Zilan falls from power, the generals who have risen through her ranks will inevitably face neglect. These are all generals who guard the borders of the four regions, and if anything happens to any of them, it will endanger the stability of the capital.

However, the court officials residing in the bustling capital only saw the power before them, blind to the swords clashing on the borders. In their eyes, it didn't matter who the generals of the four borders were; as long as there was no war in the capital, they could rest easy.

Only those who have truly been on the battlefield and guarded the border know that war is not a game of chess played by those in high positions, but a matter of life and death for millions of people.

"The head of Qingshui Manor has been bullying men and women for quite some time now. Lord Wei's personal guards have been watching him for a long time, about three or four years ago, it already started." As he spoke, Deputy General Cao patted the shoulder of the soldier next to him and said, "This is Wei Wei, the one who helped me inform him last time, boss, do you remember him? He used to have a childhood sweetheart, who was ruined by the head of Qingshui Manor. That girl later committed suicide by drowning herself in the lake, and that's when Wei Wei started targeting the head of Qingshui Manor."

Fang Zilan understood immediately. It turned out that the head of Qingshui Manor had long been targeted by Wei Mao's men. No wonder he was so agreeable, directly lending troops to Deputy General Cao. Presumably, the head of Qingshui Manor couldn't escape this time, but what about Cong Rong…

She glanced at Fang Lihui and saw a hint of worry on his face; the Fang family was likely to be implicated.

“Young lady…” Wei Wei looked at Cong Rong and asked hesitantly, “Were you also bullied by the head of Qingshui Manor?”

Before Cong Rong could answer, Deputy General Cao said, "No, this young lady is here to see Young Master Fang Lihui."

Earlier, he had seen everything clearly from outside the door and overheard the conversations of the surrounding crowd, naturally assuming that Cong Rong had come to force Fang Lihui to give her a formal status. However, Wei Wei, upon hearing his words, seemed to suddenly understand, asking, "Did the young lady come here under duress from the head of Qingshui Manor?"

Fang Zilan asked curiously, "How do you know?"

“Replying to Lord Fang, my brothers and I have been keeping an eye on the head of Qingshui Manor for a long time. He thinks he has some connections and has always been at odds with the Fang family.” Wei Wei said indignantly. “I only found out after a long investigation. About six or seven years ago, Young Master Fang’s father couldn’t do anything about him, so he stopped managing Qingshui Manor. So Qingshui Manor is nominally the Fang family’s manor, but in reality, the head of the manor is the one who calls the shots.”

Fang Zilan seemed to be deep in thought, and asked, "Since the Fang family no longer cares about Qingshui Manor, why is he still coercing Miss Cong to slander Young Master Fang?"

Wei Wei said, "The head of Qingshui Manor is used to bullying others, and many people in the manor have complaints. Last year, a farmer who escaped from the manor sued him in the government office, and he spent a lot of money to settle the matter. In addition, Qingshui Manor had a poor harvest last year, and he was short of money, so he naturally thought of the Fang family. Young Master Fang has a reputation for being a playboy, and he can take this opportunity to extort money from him."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "But he didn't expect Young Master Fang to be so shrewd. All the women who came to the Fang residence to cause trouble before were dealt with by Young Master Fang one by one, without gaining any benefit. It seems that he was forced into a corner, which is why he made such a foolish move, causing this pregnant girl to come to his door crying and making a scene."

Fang Zilan glanced at Cong Rong, then discreetly hid the jade pendant in her sleeve. "Wei Wei, you've been watching the head of Qingshui Manor for so long, why did you only make your move today?"

“The head of Qingshui Manor has a powerful background. If it weren’t for the fact that a life was at stake and the evidence was irrefutable, there would be no way to deal with him.” Wei Wei lowered his head and said in a low voice, “Lord Wei said that if we can’t deliver a fatal blow to him, I can only endure it.”

Fang Lihui couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is the background of this head of Qingshui Village?"

"The head of Qingshui Manor is surnamed Lu. His ancestors were subordinates of the Prince of Pingnan in the previous dynasty. After the previous dynasty fell, the manors near the capital were all taken back by the court and redistributed. Qingshui Manor changed hands several times and eventually fell into the hands of the Fang family." Wei Wei said, then added as if remembering something, "Lu Zhizhang of Yanzhou is a member of the same clan as the head of Qingshui Manor. If it weren't for Lord Wei presiding over the case in the northern border, we wouldn't have found so much evidence of the head of Qingshui Manor's wrongdoings."

The steward suddenly sighed, "The Lu family was a prominent clan in the previous dynasty. Lu Tao was a censor in the court, and Lu Qinghou followed the Prince of Pingnan in his campaigns. Who would have thought that with the change of dynasties, they would fall to such a state?"

"The Lu family's current situation is not due to the change of dynasties." Fang Lihui's expression turned cold. "When Emperor Tai'an first ascended the throne, he did not exterminate the former dynasty's people. On the contrary, he treated them with many courtesy. Otherwise, my Fang family's business would not be where it is today."

Fang Zilan stared intently at Fang Lihui, her expression complex, as he continued, "The Lu family's power in the Northern Territory was no less than during the previous dynasty. However, two of the Lu family's most capable members, one a martial artist and the other a scholar, were implicated by the Shangguan family and lost their official positions and titles, while the other, unwilling to accept defeat and driven by ambition, sought revenge. Their reckless actions ultimately harmed the entire family. Not to mention the unworthy descendant Lu Tang and the head of Qingshui Manor, who bullied others with their power. The Lu family's destruction was only a matter of time."

“Young Master Fang?” Wei Wei stared blankly at Fang Lihui, who sighed softly. “Lord Fang made a good point just now—only by getting to the root of the problem and going far enough can one have any sense of honor or disgrace. The Fang family has only been in my hands for a little over a hundred years. I will never allow the Fang family to make the same mistakes as the Lu family.”