Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1799 Buried Deeply
Wang Quanzhi sneered, "You climbed up by stepping on the entire Shangguan family. How vicious are you? I'm afraid you've already prepared a trap, just waiting for my Wang family to fall into it."

"I don't like hearing what Lord Wang is saying." Fang Zilan laughed instead of getting angry, a smile with an indescribable sarcasm on her lips. "Are any of us who climbed up clean? You say I'm ruthless and vicious, but how much better are you, Lord Wang? With the downfall of the Shangguan family, you must have gained a lot of influence, right? Why pretend to be innocent after getting the benefits? Your hypocritical behavior is truly an eye-opener."

"You!" Wang Quanzhi was so angry that he jumped up and down, but he couldn't make a scene because there were people at the door. He could only lower his voice and say fiercely, "Since we're all birds of a feather, Lord Fang, what's your purpose? You might as well say it."

Fang Zilan picked up the wine pot on the table and poured herself a cup of wine before looking up at Wang Quanzhi. "Lord Wang, have you misunderstood something?"

She picked up her wine cup, her expression utterly cold and indifferent. "To settle down and make a living in Yanzhou, I naturally need Lord Wang's help. Today's action is merely a gesture of goodwill; if you repay it with something in return, then you are being sensible. But if you think that we are now on the same side, Lord Wang, you are overthinking it."

Wang Quanzhi sneered, "You think you're qualified to talk to me about reciprocity?"

“I know that Lord Wang is a local tyrant in Yanzhou, used to acting arrogantly and domineeringly.” Fang Zilan glanced at Wang Quanzhi, who stood to the side with his fists clenched, and smiled playfully. “But I have come prepared. I can dig up all of Shangguan Jing’s old grievances. Lord Wang, why don’t you guess how many of your old grievances I have dug up?”

Seeing that Wang Quanzhi was on the verge of exploding, Fang Zilan stopped provoking him and said in a deep voice, "I'm sure Lord Wang doesn't want to ruin the marriage, so I'll be frank. I'm arranging this marriage for the two Shangguan ladies for three reasons: first, out of pity for their backgrounds; second, because I don't want to be enemies with the Shangguan family and Lord Wang; and third, to ask the Fang and Ouyang families to accept my help as matchmaker. I'm all alone in Yanzhou City, weak and powerless, so I need to find some friends for myself, don't I?"

“Lord Fang is indeed very thoughtful.” Wang Quanzhi clearly did not believe it, and Fang Zilan did not care at all. “I would not say that I am very thoughtful. It’s just that I have already reached this position and there is no way to back down. So I can only look forward.”

Wang Quanzhi snorted and sat down a few steps away from Fang Zilan, saying bluntly, "My Wang family appreciates Lord Fang's kindness today, but if you are unwilling to reciprocate in the future, are you willing to tear off our mask?"

"If Lord Wang knows he can't do it, why ask?" Fang Zilan placed the wine she had just poured in front of Wang Quanzhi. "Besides, there's plenty of time in the future, and Lord Wang will eventually have a chance to repay the favor."

Wang Quanzhi glanced at the wine in front of him, raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp. His expression became slightly indifferent. "Since Lord Fang has already made up his mind, let's talk about my daughter's marriage."

"There's no rush for the marriage; we should wait until the main event takes place." Fang Zilan said, picking up another wine cup and casually toying with it. "Speaking of which, I haven't yet met Lord Wang's two daughters. I wonder where they are now?"

“Lingli and Lingyuan will come at the appointed time. As for the young master Fang and young master Ouyang who were invited by Lord Fang…” Wang Quanzhi did not finish his sentence. Fang Zilan raised her eyebrows slightly, “Lord Wang, please speak your mind.”

Seeing that Fang Zilan seemed oblivious, Wang Quanzhi tightened his grip on the wine glass and said coldly, "Who is Fang Lihui? How dare he marry a daughter of the Wang family?"

"Fang Lihui is the son of the Fang family, with an excellent family background. What's wrong with him marrying your Wang family's daughter?" Fang Zilan avoided the main point and pretended not to understand Wang Quanzhi's words.

Wang Quanzhi frowned slightly. "Who doesn't know his reputation as a playboy? Why is Lord Fang pretending to be ignorant with me?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Zilan placed her wine cup on the table and looked up at Wang Quanzhi. "Since Lord Wang is unwilling to remain oblivious, let's lay it all out. Given the current circumstances of your two daughters, it would be excellent if a young master from a prominent family were willing to propose marriage. Doesn't Lord Wang understand this?" "What good does it do to understand?" Wang Quanzhi sighed, seemingly unwilling. "From royalty to commoners, which parent doesn't want to find a good husband for their children?"

"When noble families arrange marriages, social standing and status come first, followed by character and temperament. I thought Lord Wang was aware of this." Fang Zilan's lips curled slightly. "Moreover, which young master or lady from a prominent family is not presentable enough, or not a worthy match?"

Wang Quanzhi said with a sense of loss, "If today you were to ask Lord Fang to submit to a playboy like Fang Lihui, would you still be able to say these things?"

Fang Zilan smiled calmly, "I am not like them. They had no choice, but I will not fall to such a state. Otherwise, what does Lord Wang think I risked my life to climb to this position for?"

Wang Quanzhi was stunned for a moment, then laughed as if he had heard something funny. "I didn't expect that Lord Fang would also have such a youthful mindset, always thinking that if he stands high, he can control everything in the world. Even that person in Qiankun Palace probably doesn't have such a satisfactory life. Doesn't Lord Fang know that the more you gain, the fewer choices you have?"

Fang Zilan smiled dismissively, "Making a choice is inherently difficult. If it weren't difficult, how could it be called a choice?"

Rumors about Li Shengxuan are as numerous as rivers. As long as the water flows, the rumors will never cease.

After all, from being exiled to the remote frontier to becoming the ruler of the capital, Li Shengxuan's mysterious aura only increased, and his past, which is worth exploring, is not limited to just one or two romantic affairs.

But as long as the word "love" is involved, the rumors about Li Shengxuan cannot escape the phrase "deep affection".

Rumor has it that when Li Shengxuan was young, he proposed to the third daughter of the Fang family of the Prime Minister's mansion. After being rejected, there was no going back. Under pressure from various forces, he married the eldest daughter of the Fang family. After that, he left the backyard empty, with only her by his side.

Some say Fang Ziqin is skilled at managing her husband, others say Fang Chongzheng is shrewd and has made some kind of deal with Li Shengxuan in private, while still others say Li Shengxuan treats Fang Ziqin with courtesy because of his brotherhood with Zhuge Jun...

Therefore, in the rumors, besides the Fang family, the Zhuge family—Zhuge Jun—is unavoidable.

Those who share life and death in the military develop a certain bond, so even Fang Zilan once thought that the third rumor was the closest to the truth.

But she forgot that rumors are rumors precisely because they are false. If the Fang family hadn't retreated from the capital, if she hadn't obtained that list, if she hadn't gathered evidence of corruption…

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as "what if" in this world.

(End of this chapter)