Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1968 Distance
"This is..." Xie Chen picked up the jade talisman, examined it carefully, and then placed it back in front of Fang Zilan. "The key to the Du family pawnshop."

"Mr. Xie, have you seen it clearly?" Fang Zilan didn't even glance at the jade talisman, and simply said, "How can a jade talisman be considered a key?"

Xie Chen explained, "The Du family pawnshop is no ordinary pawnshop, and its keys are even more unusual."

"Judging from what Mr. Xie is saying, the Du family pawnshop doesn't do ordinary pawnshop business." Fang Zilan picked up her teacup again and drank it all in one gulp. "Then may I ask, Mr. Xie, what kind of business does the Du family pawnshop do?"

"Interpersonal relationships and power transactions are all unseen businesses." Xie Chen didn't hide anything, which made Fang Zilan pause for a moment. She put down her teacup and stared at him intently. "Mr. Xie, have you ever done business with the Du family pawnshop?"

“Never.” Xie Chen shook his head. “As a member of the Fang family, the young master’s wife should know better than I do the costs behind business. Besides, the Du family pawnshop only accepts dead loans.”

"Is that so?" Fang Zilan remained noncommittal, her gaze falling on the jade talisman. "What does Mr. Xie think if I pawn this jade talisman at the Du family pawnshop?"

Xie Chen's expression turned grave. "Is the Crown Prince's wife trying to take advantage of someone in distress?"

"Mr. Xie, do you think I'm taking advantage of someone in their time of need?" Fang Zilan reached for the jade talisman, playing with it as she spoke, "Miss Du?"

"The Du family pawnshop's key is lost, and Miss Du, as the person in charge, cannot escape responsibility." Xie Chen said calmly, "If the young master's wife returns the key at this time, Miss Du will owe you a favor."

"I don't care much about the Du family's favor." Fang Zilan casually waved the jade talisman in her hand. "I'm just a little curious, will Miss Du be able to live to see the day this jade talisman is returned?"

Xie Chen's expression hardened. "Since the young mistress has no intention of returning the keys to the Du family pawnshop, what is she doing now?"

"I just had some free time, so I chatted with Mr. Xie for a bit." Fang Zilan said, her expression becoming slightly more serious. "I once saw a jade pendant on Shang Zhongyi, and the pattern on this jade talisman is exactly the same."

Xie Chen remained silent, his fingers hidden in his sleeves rubbing together repeatedly for a while before he finally said, "Princess Consort, what exactly do you want to say?"

"It seems Mr. Xie is also aware of this matter." Fang Zilan's expression was calm, as if she was not surprised at all. "I wonder if Mr. Xie would be willing to tell me what this pattern means?"

Xie Chen didn't speak, and Fang Zilan didn't press him for answers. She simply poured herself a cup of tea and took a small sip.

Seeing this, Xie Chen's eyes darkened, but Fang Zilan seemed oblivious, continuing to sip her tea. When the cup was empty, she put it down and said coldly, "It seems Mr. Xie is unwilling to tell me."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Xie, General Xiahou is still in prison. Even if you try to delay, the case will eventually be closed."

“Zhao Zhao, she…” Xie Chen opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Fang Zilan, “She is not innocent. General Xiahou himself admitted in court that he was guilty of harboring a criminal. Does Mr. Xie intend to be punished as an equal to her?”

"Is the Fang family innocent?" Xie Chen's hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched into a fist. "You, the Crown Prince's wife..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Fang Zilan knew exactly what he meant by the second half, so she said directly, "Mr. Xie, neither of us are heartless people. I can't stand by and watch the Fang family end up destroyed, and I'm sure you wouldn't stand by and watch General Xiahou lose his life either. In that case, let's use other people's lives to make up for it. What do you think?"

"If the Crown Prince's wife can resolve the Zhongling Temple case, the Fang family..." Xie Chen paused, "will have atoned for their crimes."

Fang Zilan remained noncommittal. "The power of life and death, can Mr. Xie's words carry weight?" "How His Majesty treats the Fang family, the Crown Prince's wife should know better than I do." Xie Chen spoke vaguely. Fang Zilan curled her lips. "People say that those involved are often blinded by their own interests, and I am no exception."

She leaned close to Xie Chen's ear and whispered, "If Mr. Xie goes back on his word, I will drag the Xiahou family down with me and die alongside the Fang family."

Xie Chen chuckled and said, "I never thought the Crown Prince's wife would resort to threats."

“I never threaten anyone.” Fang Zilan straightened up and said with a composed smile, “I always keep my word.”

"Then I await good news from the Crown Prince's wife." Xie Chen bowed, which Fang Zilan accepted without returning the bow. "Mr. Xie should at least show some sincerity. Tonight, I want to see Awan."

After she finished speaking, she left without looking back. She walked straight to the outside of the courtroom and saw Hong Tai leaning against the corner of the wall, looking bored.

"What are you doing here?" Fang Zilan frowned slightly. Hong Tai said succinctly, "Two things. First, Wan Jun is in Murong Qing's hands."

Fang Zilan was not surprised to hear this, but just chuckled and said, "When did the chief become the mouthpiece of the loyal prince?"

“I just think you should know,” Hong Tai said seriously, “After all, this isn’t a good thing.”

"Whether it's good or bad, I'll judge for myself." Fang Zilan said thoughtfully, "There's one more thing."

"The Dugu family is making a move." Hong Tai's voice lowered, and Fang Zilan subconsciously asked, "What move?"

"The son of the patriarch Dugu Xin—General Dugu Ming—is escorting his cousin and is already on his way to the capital." Hong Tai's words struck Fang Zilan like a bolt from the blue. She blurted out, "What do you mean?"

"With the Fang family withdrawing from the capital, the harem will naturally change hands." Hong Tai sneered. "You don't necessarily think that the concubine surnamed Fang in the palace can escape unscathed, do you?"

“But…” Fang Zilan pursed her lips, swallowing back all her words of rebuttal, “Whose idea is this, the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, or…”

“Does whose opinion matters?” Hong Tai interrupted Fang Zilan. “What matters is the wind direction. With Yu Cheng Wang around, Li Shengxuan will definitely protect the Dugu family, and the Fang family will only be a pawn to be discarded.”

“Abandoned pawn?” Fang Zilan repeated the word, gritting her teeth as she said, “Throughout history, no deposed empress has ever had a good ending. Does he have absolutely no mercy for her?”

"Fang Zilan, now that things have come to this, do you still believe in any sentimentality?" Hong Tai sneered. Fang Zilan clenched her fists. "Since that's the case, then I don't need to care about anyone's feelings."

Hong Tai was stunned for a moment. Before he could think about the meaning of Fang Zilan's words, he heard her say again: "You stay here and pick up Awan. Then we will go to Zhongling Temple."

“As a key witness, how could Xie Chen possibly release Miss Wan?” Hong Tai asked solemnly. Fang Zilan did not answer him and went back on her own.

Murong Qing had been waiting in the hall for a long time. When he saw Fang Zilan return, he poured her a cup of tea. However, when the tea was in her hand, she hesitated to take it.