Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1820 Brewing
"How long will this grand ceremony last?" Fang Zilan yawned and asked the monk beside her in a low voice. He coughed lightly and said, "Amitabha. Lady of the Crown Prince, please be solemn."

Seeing Li Qiyou standing blankly in front of the altar after offering incense, looking completely lost, Fang Zilan couldn't help but ask again, "What's going on now? Is His Highness Prince Yucheng going to recite a sacrificial inscription?"

The monk next to her took a deep breath, and before he could explain, she said, "That sacrificial text wouldn't be praising Prince Rong'an, would it?"

The monk sighed deeply and said helplessly, "The Crown Prince's wife..."

"Okay, I won't say anything more." Fang Zilan waved her hand, looking resigned. "I'm really bored. I can go for a walk, right?"

Before the monks could react, she walked to the edge of the crowd, next to the temple gate, just a few steps away from Li Qidaoyou.

The monk wanted to follow, but there were too many people and he couldn't squeeze through. He could only open his mouth, but his voice was too soft and was drowned out by the sound of the wooden fish. He didn't dare to make too much noise and be considered a nuisance, after all, he couldn't bear the crime of disturbing the grand ceremony.

So he could only watch helplessly as Fang Zilan stood in a conspicuous position, and after thinking for a moment, he decided to pray that she wouldn't say anything out of line. However, before he could even begin, a loud crash was heard, and the Buddha statue in the main hall collapsed with a deafening roar.

The crowd scattered and fled. The monk's eyes were blinded by dust, but he could vaguely hear someone shouting, "Protect His Highness!"

Yes, His Highness Prince Yu Cheng is standing right in front of the main hall, bearing the brunt of the fall. If the Buddha statue collapses, he'll likely be the first to be crushed. What will happen if a powerful royal prince dies at Zhongling Temple?
His worries vanished in an instant at Li Qiyou's voice, "Princess Consort, how are you? Are you injured?"

The Crown Prince's wife? The monk rubbed his eyes haphazardly, and when he looked closely, he saw Fang Zilan lying on top of Li Qiyou, with the nearest piece of Buddha statue no more than half a tuo away.

Fang Zilan coughed for a while, then slowly straightened up from Li Qiyou's arms. "I'm fine."

She dusted herself off and tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell back to the ground. "My leg..."

"You got hurt?" Li Qiyou only then noticed the blood on Fang Zilan's leg. He looked at her in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?"

Fang Zilan forced a smile. "I saved your life on the northern battlefield. How could I let it go so easily?"

"Don't say anything more..." Li Qiyou's eyes were red. He picked Fang Zilan up and carried her to the hospital. "I'll take you to get treatment first."

Fang Zilan didn't speak. She leaned against Li Qiyou's chest and looked at the open space in front of the main hall. The coffin that was originally there had been smashed to pieces by the Buddha statue, revealing the blackened bones inside.

The Zhongling Temple members, realizing what was happening, rushed forward to check on Li Qiyou and Fang Zilan's injuries, and naturally also noticed the skeletal remains. With so many eyewitnesses, no one could remain silent.

"That's... the remains of Prince Rong'an?" someone exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. Li Qiyou looked over and was struck dumb. Was this the answer the gods and Buddhas had given him?

The truth, no matter how much it is covered up, will eventually be discovered.

"Your Highness, do you believe in gods and Buddhas?" Fang Zilan's voice pulled Li Qiyou back to his senses. He opened his mouth, "I..." "I believe," Fang Zilan said quietly. "It must be because Prince Rong'an has committed so many evils that even the gods and Buddhas of heaven couldn't stand it anymore, which is why he destroyed the dignity that you had worked so hard to preserve for him."

Liu Neng stared at Fang Zilan as she said, "Of those who followed your father to Mangshan back then, not one of them returned. Your cousin, Lord Liu Yong, not only returned alive and well, but also replaced you as the new head of the Liu family."

“Lady, I don’t understand a word you’re saying.” Liu Neng’s expression turned cold. “Back then, I grew tired of life in the army and insisted on leaving the Liu family, giving up my position as head of the family. My cousin was the natural successor. How can that be considered taking over?”

"If it is truly as you say, sir," Fang Zilan sat up straight, exuding an air of quiet authority, "how did you become a wealthy idler in the Liu family?"

Liu Neng frowned. "Lady of the Heir Apparent, what do you mean by this?"

Fang Zilan ignored Liu Neng and looked at Xie Chen, saying, "The Liu family and the Xiahou family have a long history regarding the matter of leading troops to suppress bandits. I don't need to say more about how the Xiahou family deals with deserters; Mr. Xie is already aware of it."

"I am not..." Liu Neng began to speak, but Fang Zilan interrupted him, "If you are not a deserter, then your father must be a loving father who has made many plans for you."

She chuckled as she spoke, "I just wonder how much of this plan is related to the Liu family, and how much is related to Mangshan?"

"Don't spout nonsense!" Liu Neng glared angrily, but Fang Zilan composed herself. "Sir, do you have any evidence that I'm spouting nonsense?"

Liu Neng froze, realizing that he had fallen into a trap set by Fang Zilan. However, before he could argue, she said, "It's all without any evidence. What right do you have to say that I'm talking nonsense? Is your Liu family completely innocent?"

"Whether my Liu family is innocent or not is for Mr. Xie in the hall to judge. If Mr. Xie cannot decide, then His Majesty will make the final decision." Liu Neng suppressed his emotions and said in a deep voice, "In any case, it is not your place, Lady Heir, to question this."

Fang Zilan didn't say anything more, but she had already stirred up the fire, so Xie Chen followed her lead and asked, "How I judge it requires evidence. Since this case has been investigated to this point and is related to Mangshan, then the events of that year cannot be avoided."

As he spoke, he stared intently at Liu Neng, "What exactly happened in Mangshan back then?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Neng took a deep breath, raised his head and met Xie Chen's gaze. "Mr. Xie, anyone can doubt my Liu family because of what happened in Mangshan back then, but you and the Xiahou family behind you cannot."

His eyes reddened as he spoke each word clearly, “The current state of my Liu family is inextricably linked to the Xiahou family.”

“You’re telling the truth not just to me,” Xie Chen said solemnly. “The purpose of a court trial is to bring the truth to light and give everyone a fair trial. Whether it’s a personal grudge or a family affair, as long as it’s related to the truth, there should be no concealment.”

"Mr. Xie is quite the righteous man now." Liu Neng snorted coldly. "Unfortunately, I am not the head of the Liu family. There are some things that I cannot decide whether or not to say. I would like to ask the head of the Liu family, Mr. Xie."

Xie Chen nodded slightly and ordered someone to bring Liu Yong, who had been detained earlier, to the courtroom.

Liu Yong, who was in prison, was not surprised at all and was about to follow the person to the court, but when he passed by Xiahou Yunzhao's cell, she called him back.