Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1962 Perseverance
Yao Wu interrupted his commander with disdain, “It is true that I am a soldier of the Great Capital, but I am also a living, breathing human being. I used to have blood relatives, but what do I have now? If there were no one I cared about in the Southeast Camp, do you think I would have come to the Jiangnan Camp? Don’t even mention General Shen, you are not even half as good as Zhou Lang!”

"Yao Wu, you..." The general clenched his fists, but before he could finish speaking, Fang Zilan interrupted him, "General, do you see this? This is the person you're protecting. Blindly indulging him won't earn you respect; instead, it will make people think you're weak and easily bullied."

She paused, then slowly lowered the plum-shaped sword in her hand. "Since that's the case, why not make everyone fear you?"

Before she could finish speaking, Yao Wu screamed in agony as a chunk of flesh was ripped from his flesh. She gave a disgusted snort and deftly flicked the blood off her sword. "Today, I'll take the liberty of teaching you a lesson."

"What do you mean..." the commander murmured, but Fang Zilan ignored him and looked at Yao Wu, saying, "As a soldier of the Great Capital, you do not take it upon yourself to protect the territory, nor do you value the lives of the people. You are greedy for life and afraid of death, and you are not worthy of being a soldier. You collude with mountain bandits and outlaws, disregard your comrades for profit, and harm the innocent to escape punishment. You are not worthy of being a human being."

Yao Wu's expression froze for a moment, then he seemed to have nothing to lose and said angrily, "If you talk about me like this, then what is it that you're holding in your hand? As the commander of the Jiangnan camp, he knew that his deputy was colluding with mountain bandits and outlaws, but he dared not punish them or participate in it. What kind of commander is he who only obeys and nods?"

Fang Zilan was not surprised at all, and simply said in a calm voice: "So you would rather collude with mountain bandits and outlaws than take their place?"

"What did you say?" Yao Wu was completely taken aback by Fang Zilan's words, his face filled with disbelief.

“I heard His Majesty say that you came to the Jiangnan camp to make a name for yourself.” Fang Zilan tightened her grip on the commander’s hand, signaling him to behave himself, but she was still speaking to Yao Wu, “Since the commander of the Jiangnan camp is useless, it is not impossible for you to take his place.”

As she spoke, her expression hardened slightly, "If I were you, I would feign friendship with the bandits and outlaws, then find an opportunity to wipe them all out in one fell swoop, establishing myself honorably through merit and replacing the incompetent commander..."

"You make it sound so easy," Yao Wu spat, "Do you even know who the general you're holding hostage is, and why he became the commander of the Jiangnan Grand Camp?"

“Military merits and background, either one or both,” Fang Zilan answered quickly, but Yao Wu smiled contemptuously. “Military merits? What military merits does he have? Did he rush to the aid of Qiluo City? If he hadn’t married a daughter of the Dugu family, how could he have become the commander of a battalion?”

Fang Zilan raised an eyebrow, and when the commander tried to explain, she grabbed his throat, preventing him from making a sound, and let Yao Wu continue.

“Whether in the past or now, it may be possible to establish oneself in the army through military merit, but it is simply impossible to become the commander of a battalion!” Yao Wu became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice became much louder. “The late Duke of Yue is the only exception, and the last exception.”

“An exception?” Fang Zilan repeated the word softly, a deep sadness filling her heart.

Even if Yao Wu was extreme and spoke recklessly, she was well aware that this was the truth.

The so-called exception is that she is different from everyone else. She was handpicked by Li Shengxuan and has been the commander of a battalion and the commander-in-chief of the three armies since the first day she entered the army.

Others had also been unconvinced, but she proved her strength with victory after victory. But Yao Wu and others today simply don't have that opportunity. Soldiers with no background or connections, even after three generations, can only reach the rank of deputy general—that's the highest they can hope for. Without a stroke of luck, without the influence of relatives or connections, their lives are a predictable, predictable path.

Fang Zilan leisurely rested her chin on one hand and gently tapped the table with the other. "Since Ayu is so smart, why don't you guess?"

"Is Sister Lan going to pay for Fang Liren to leave the Fang family?" Although Zhuge Yu asked the question, her tone was very certain. "Did Sister Lan persuade Fang Lihui to release him last night?"

“It’s not exactly convincing, but we have to take a gamble.” Fang Zilan reached out and grasped the teacup on the table, her fingers tracing the smooth porcelain surface. “If what A-Yu said is true, and Warners is willing to give up everything for Fang Liren, we can’t let Fang Liren be trapped in the Fang family and unable to escape. If we anger the Sassanid family head, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

"Don't you find it strange, Sister Lan?" Zhuge Yu raised an eyebrow. "Fang Liren has been the head of the Fang family for many years, yet he not only can't get a single penny from the Fang family, but he also has to spend a large sum of money to redeem himself. What kind of logic is that?"

Fang Zilan picked up her teacup and took a sip. "Ayu, please speak your mind."

Zhuge Yu said calmly, "Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has neglected the Prime Minister and the Empress for a long time, and the Fang family's business has also declined significantly. Now Fang Lihui is taking the opportunity to make money, and Fang Liren has helped him set up this scheme, just waiting for Sister Lan to be the sucker."

"Perhaps it's a setup, but I might not be the sucker," Fang Zilan said casually. "What does Ayu think of the Fang family's business?"

“The Fang family’s business is certainly thriving. Although their influence has waned in recent years, they are still a prestigious name in people’s hearts,” Zhuge Yu said cautiously. Fang Zilan’s lips curled slightly. “In that case, I won’t be a sucker. I will not only provide funds for Fang Liren, but I will also invest all my money in the Fang family. The Fang family’s decline is due to His Majesty’s neglect of the Prime Minister and Empress, but neglect is one thing, His Majesty’s foundation is not yet stable and he will not rashly touch them. Moreover, if the Fang family gains the support of another rising star, the situation will be different.”

Zhuge Yu's expression changed slightly. "Sister Lan, have you decided to get involved with the Fang family? Do you know that His Majesty already has some suspicions about you? If you get involved with the Fang family again, His Majesty may not tolerate you."

"Whether or not we're related is not for me to decide," Fang Zilan laughed self-deprecatingly. "My surname is Fang, and it just so happens that I share the same name as the third young lady of the Fang family. His Majesty is deeply suspicious, so whether or not I'm related to the Fang family, I can't clear my name."

"Since Sister Lan knows, why don't you avoid suspicion?" Zhuge Yu's tone held a hint of concern, and Fang Zilan smiled, "Ah Yu, are you worried about me?"

Zhuge Yu paused for a moment, then nodded.

Fang Zilan still smiled, "Ayu, wouldn't you say that you're just worried sick? His Majesty is a man of his word, whether we believe him or not is entirely up to him. Rather than racking my brains to please him, I'd rather be open and honest and live freely."

Zhuge Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "Fine, Sister Lan, this is just your personality. You won't curry favor with others, nor will you kick someone when they're down. You never care what others say and only follow your heart."