Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1970 Release
"I confess without hesitation." Fang Lihui, who was sitting on the low couch, straightened up and bowed to Li Qiyou. His hands and feet were injured, and he had been carried to the hall today, and every move he made was difficult.

Fang Zilan stared intently, her heart filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, she couldn't bear the thought of the Fang family's irreversible decline; on the other hand, she knew the situation was irreversible, Fang Lihui's fate was sealed, and even Murong Qing was powerless to change it. Their agreement was ultimately...

"Wait a minute." A loud voice interrupted Fang Zilan's thoughts, drowning out the murmurs below and reaching the ears of everyone in the hall.

Fang Zilan turned around and saw a man outside the hall covered in blood, standing out conspicuously in the crowd. He seemed oblivious, only concerned with protecting the person behind him—an old monk wearing a kasaya.

People around instinctively stepped back, making way for the man and the old monk. As they approached, Fang Zilan realized that the man was Mr. Liu from Canghai, whom she had met at Zuiyue Tower.

The unease in her heart was amplified at this moment. Her intuition told Fang Zilan that once they entered the courtroom, there would be no turning back.

But what is it?
Before Fang Zilan could think further, she heard Zhuge Yu's routine rebuke, "Who is so bold as to trespass into the courtroom?"

However, before he could finish speaking, dark figures appeared outside the hall, and the glint of knives blocked Mr. Liu and the old monk's path.

Suddenly, a series of unexpected events occurred, leaving everyone inside and outside the courtroom speechless with astonishment—such reckless and violent behavior in court not only demonstrated that the person behind it was ruthless, but also indicated that the two people about to enter the courtroom knew extremely important secrets.

Fortunately, Zhou Lang was prepared, and the hidden soldiers appeared one after another, protecting the onlookers outside the hall. Xiahou Yunzhao also acted swiftly, quickly pulling Mr. Liu and the old monk into the courtroom, and then drew her sword.

"General Xiahou, spare his life!" Zhuge Yu shouted. Xiahou Yunzhao snorted coldly and did not answer. He still showed no mercy in his attack, but he was clearly holding back.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Fang Zilan could not make a move. However, these people alone were no match for Xiahou Yunzhao, and they were quickly captured one by one by her and her soldiers.

With the commotion subsided, everyone's attention turned to Mr. Liu and the old monk inside the hall. Li Qiyou was the first to ask, "You two..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Liu suddenly knelt down on the ground, saying, "I am Liu from Canghai. I escorted the eminent monk of Zhongling Temple, Master Ranzhu, to surrender. I have successfully completed my mission..."

Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed and fell into a coma.

Li Qiyou hurriedly ordered someone to check on her, only to find Fang Zilan staring intently at the candle-burning master, her expression unreadable. He then suddenly realized something was amiss.

Zhongling Temple in Jiangnan is a renowned temple on par with Baiye Temple in the capital. Its abbot, Master Randeng, is a highly respected monk with a wide reputation. The master before us, whose Dharma name is Ranzhu, is presumably a fellow disciple of Master Randeng. Yet, he is being escorted into Suzhou Prefecture by a heavily injured martial artist, and is still being chased in court. Could it be that something has happened at Zhongling Temple...?

Zhuge Yu also realized the situation, but the moment he saw Fang Zilan's expression, he roughly understood the key point—Zhongling Temple was not in trouble, but like the Fang family, it was deeply mired in trouble and was not innocent.

Is this your way of breaking the deadlock? Zhuge Yu's eyes turned cold and ruthless as he looked at Fang Zilan. He was willing to cause chaos in Jiangnan just to protect the Fang family and Fang Lihui.
Fang Zilan vaguely guessed what was going on, but before she could speak, she saw Master Ranzhu bow and say, "Amitabha, this old monk is Ranzhu from Zhongling Temple. I greet Prince Yucheng." After he finished speaking, he took out a blood-written letter from his sleeve and presented it to Li Qiyou. "This old monk has learned that Your Highness is investigating the case in the Southeast. This case may have started with the fire on the pleasure boat in Jiangnan, but it may not have ended with the death of Prince Rong'an."

Li Shengxuan was stunned for a moment, and Fang Zilan said decisively, "Back then in Fenghe Valley, His Majesty and I were sworn brothers. If there is a way out, His Majesty is my way out, and I am also His Majesty's way out."

"With your words, I'll be your backup plan for life, so what's wrong with that?" Li Shengxuan reached out and tucked Fang Zilan's disheveled hair behind her ear. She didn't flinch and let him do as he pleased. "This is what His Majesty said, you can't go back on your word."

"Of course..." The words "I won't go back on my word" were on the tip of his tongue, but Li Shengxuan swallowed them back and asked instead, "If I go back on my word, what will you do?"

“If Your Majesty changes your mind, I will hide away and never see Your Majesty again.” Fang Zilan blurted out an answer she had not expected. She thought that, given her cold-hearted nature, she would probably say that she would kill Li Shengxuan, but she did not.

Li Shengxuan's expression was serious. "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. Where can you hide?"

"Is Your Majesty trying to use your royal power to force me?" A hint of coldness appeared in Fang Zilan's eyes. Before Li Shengxuan could answer, she said to herself, "If I can't avoid it, then I'll treat Your Majesty like a stranger."

Li Shengxuan chuckled and subconsciously revealed his true feelings: "I do not wish to never see you again, whether in life or death, and I will not go back on my word."

"I believe you," Fang Zilan said resolutely, and she changed her address for Li Shengxuan from "Your Majesty" to "you."

Li Shengxuan heard it clearly, coughed lightly to cover his laughter, and said bluntly, "However, if you are leaving the palace for the sake of Mr. Su Heng, then there is no need for that."

"What does Your Majesty mean by this?" Fang Zilan looked puzzled. Li Shengxuan explained, "After hearing that the Duke of Yue had been executed, Mr. Su Heng took the initiative to submit a memorial agreeing to return to the capital and resume his post."

Fang Zilan exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty means that Lord Su Heng is willing to return to the capital for my sake?"

“Not bad.” Li Shengxuan walked to the table, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Fang Zilan. “After the Xiahou family stayed behind to guard the old Baiyue territory, the Southeast Camp couldn’t control the Prince of Rong’an. They were also at a loss when dealing with officials of all ranks who had connections. Fortunately, after you took office, you handled several important matters in succession, won the hearts and minds of the people, and not only were you able to stand on equal footing with the Prince of Rong’an, but officials of all ranks also dared not act recklessly. It was still considered stable. But now the situation is different.”

Fang Zilan took a sip of tea and said thoughtfully, "It seems that Lord Su Heng is not a vengeful person, he just feels that it is not the right time to come out of seclusion."

“When I was young, I was fortunate enough to hear a few words of teaching from the old master Su Heng. He never held grudges and was even less willing to compete for credit.” Li Shengxuan picked up another cup of tea and sat down in the main seat. “He was unwilling to come out of seclusion, probably because he felt that there were always talented people emerging in the new generation and the situation was stable, so there was no need for his old bones to support it. But if one day the country is in turmoil, he will do his best to turn the tide even if he has to hold on until his last breath.”

"Is it in turmoil?" Fang Zilan repeated the word, a vague unease creeping into her heart.