Don't ask where people go

Chapter 1290 Assistance

Someone in the hall was obviously losing his temper. "General Xiahou, since you knew that the body of King Rong'an was destroyed, why didn't you tell us until now?"

"Whether I say it or not, and when I say it, what does it have to do with you, sir?" Xiahou Yunzhao raised his eyebrows, his eyes full of provocation.

The lord opposite was obviously annoyed, but before he could vent his anger, Fang Zilan said sternly: "Your Excellency is making things difficult for General Xiahou, but what are you trying to cover up? Master Ranzhu is still here, and the assassin has not been identified yet. Your Excellency, please don't confuse the importance of the matter."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yunzhao looked over and saw that although Fang Zilan's words were harsh, her face was pale and her lips were tightly pursed. She was just pretending to be an empty shell. So she stopped talking and let Xie Chen take over.

"Madam, what you said makes sense." Xie Chen nodded slightly and looked at Master Ranzhu, who had caused an uproar as soon as he appeared in the hall. "Master, this blood letter clearly states that Zhongling Temple occupied land and bullied the people, and committed many evil deeds. It was also signed and sealed by the people..."

Before he finished speaking, there was an uproar outside the hall. Fang Lihui in the hall also changed his expression slightly. He looked at Fang Zilan, but saw that she was silent, like a puppet.

Did she already know this? Fang Lihui was stunned for a moment, and then realized that if she borrowed the identity of Zhen from Qianjinfang, it wouldn't be surprising if she knew that the temple was misbehaving.

However, when Li Shengxuan ascended the throne, he had the help of Master Yuan, so after he ascended the throne, he continued to be favored, making the prevalence of Buddhism almost at its peak. However, there must be a shadow under the glory, and as long as it can be hidden, it is an indulgence of turning a blind eye.

But now, the Zhongling Temple in Jiangnan, which is as famous as the Baiye Temple in western Beijing, has been exposed to a scandal. It is natural that people will have doubts. Master Liaoyuan is the first to be affected. How can the Zhuge family behind him get away with it?

In addition, before the assassin committed suicide, he called out not only King Yucheng, but also Lord Zhuge...

Fang Lihui felt a chill all over his body and didn't dare to think any further. Sister Lan, is this really how you protect the Fang family?

Fang Zilan noticed Fang Lihui's gaze, but kept her eyes down, as if she was unaware.

She knew that now that things had come to this, in Fang Lihui's eyes, she was the instigator behind the scenes. This move was tantamount to abandoning the pawns to save the pawns, just like a reckless man.

Not only Fang Lihui, but also Zhuge Yu might hate her. Even if she said she had no idea, no one would think she was innocent.

Zhongling Temple... How could Qianjinfang not know about such a case? I think they were just trying to hide it from her. The only ones who could hide it from her were Zhen Mier or Wan Jun.

Qianjinfang was isolated between the court and the underworld, and it was not easy to maintain her status, and social interactions were inevitable. Even if she concealed one or two shameful things, she didn't care.

But how did Murong Qing know this? Today was only the second day of the public trial, and Master Ranzhu, who was far away in Zhongling Temple, was brought to court by Mr. Canghai Liu, who even arranged an assassination, pushing the case to a climax...

This was not a day's work, Murong Qing's plan came much earlier than she expected. It is very possible that the so-called keeping the promise and protecting the Fang family for her is just a part of his plan.

Fang Zilan was uneasy, but she was in court and could not act rashly, so she could only force herself to focus on the case. "All land owned by the temple can be exempted from taxes for three years." Xie Chen said in a dignified manner, "Zhongling Temple used this as a convenience to confiscate the land of thousands of households nearby as the property of the temple, and then sublet the land to make huge profits."

These two sentences are so sharp. Let's not talk about the reasons why the temple requisitioned the land, and whether it was done to any extreme. Just think about how the thousands of families make a living after losing their land. If they don't leave their homes, they will inevitably have to rent the land requisitioned by the temple.

Under layers of exploitation, not only did they lose their land, but they also lost the people's hearts. After the war and plague, those who thought they had waited for peace, instead waited for another kind of persecution.

It is true that when a country prospers, the people suffer. When a country perishes, the people suffer.

"I thought Prince Rong'an had learned to be smarter, but after all these years, he is still as stupid and evil as ever." Xiahou Yunzhao pondered for a moment and said, "In other words, the letter that Lord Fang sent back to the capital might have been replaced?"

"Not necessarily." Xie Chen's expression became a little more serious, and he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Zhao Zhao, Mistress Fang is most likely the third young lady of the Fang family in the Xiangfu—Fang Zilan."

"What did you say? That orphan from the previous dynasty, how could it be possible?" Xiahou Yunzhao's eyes flashed with disbelief, but after a moment, he calmed down, "Looking closely, her ruthlessness is very similar to her parents."

"Indeed, she looks very similar." Xie Chen nodded slightly. "After the incident in the capital, she seemed to have disappeared. Now she is so skilled in martial arts and has many strategies and decisions. I'm afraid she has something to do with the Ghost Gate."

"We have always suspected that Prince Rong'an and Guimen are secretly colluding. If she is from Guimen, she may indeed cover up for Prince Rong'an." Xiahou Yunzhao frowned slightly, "But one thing doesn't make sense. If she is involved with Prince Rong'an, why did Your Majesty ask me to suppress the pirates? How can they be so sure that the pirates will keep their mouths shut and their acts of treason will not be discovered by me?"

"There are two possibilities. One is that her target is the Xiahou family. There are rumors out there that the Xiahou family is sending troops to regain control of the military power in the southeast. Regardless of whether Your Majesty believes us or not, military power will always be his Achilles' heel." Xie Chen's eyes were cold, "A dragon has an Achilles' heel. Anyone who touches it will die. Zhao Zhao, you should know this better than anyone else."

"Another possibility is, do you believe she is really innocent?" Xiahou Yunzhao hesitated, "The plague is fatal, but she dared to go into the epidemic area alone. Just based on this point, it is hard for me to doubt her."

"Then let's change our thinking." Xie Chen said in a low voice, "What if this plague is originally related to Guimen and Prince Rong'an?"

"What do you mean?" Xiahou Yunzhao's expression changed slightly. Xie Chen said solemnly, "When Yan'er wrote to us to report that she was safe, she mentioned that fishermen on Donghai Fishing Island were sick. She suspected it was a plague, so she used the Xiahou family token to order everyone on the island not to leave. But within a few days of receiving the letter, King Rong'an claimed that there was a plague raging outside Mushan Pass and blocked the road on his own initiative. Then Yan'er said that the letter she wrote in Linjia Village was delivered to us. Doesn't Zhaozhao think it's strange?"

Xiahou Yunzhao remained silent, and Xie Chen continued, "Moreover, not long after she entered the epidemic area alone, news came out that the plague had a cure. All of this is linked together, too coincidental, and terrifying when you think about it carefully."

"If..." Xiahou Yunzhao clenched his hands into fists, "If this plague was originally planned by Guimen and Prince Rong'an, then this is not a coincidence."

Xie Chen held her in his arms, "Zhao Zhao, if this is the truth, this is not something we can handle."