Don't ask where people go

Chapter 1848 Conditions
"Lan'er, there's something I need to tell you." Fang Chongzheng leaned against the doorframe. "At least, I can't let you know it from someone else."

Seeing this, Xiao Xuan'er quietly left. Fang Zilan didn't say anything, and Fang Chongzheng walked straight in and closed the door.

"It's better to say it all at once, lest there be no other chance later." Fang Zilan sat at the table, with Fang Chongzheng sitting opposite her. "I will propose the matter of exchanging prisoners for death to His Majesty, and the person from the Ghost Gate is also aware of it."

Fang Zilan remained outwardly calm, but her heart was already in turmoil. "Why tell me this at this critical juncture?"

“If the world suspects that the Crown Prince’s wife is Zixiu, you still have a way to deal with it,” Fang Chongzheng said quietly. “But if someone suspects that the Third Miss of the Fang family is the former Duke of Yue, then it’s not just your problem.”

"Are you saying all this to protect me, or to protect the Fang family?" Fang Zilan stared intently at Fang Chongzheng. "If it's the former, there's no need for it. If it's the latter, my name has never been on the Fang family's genealogy. No matter who I am—the former Duke of Yue, Zixiu, or the wife of the heir apparent—it has nothing to do with the Fang family. I believe you have a thousand ways to completely sever ties with me."

Fang Chongzheng ignored Fang Zilan's reaction and continued speaking to himself, "The first part of the proposal is to exchange prisoners for death. The second part is to ask Mr. Su Heng to return to the capital, and for the Fang family to leave the capital and never return."

"So you wanted to leave the capital back then." Fang Zilan clenched her fist, her hand hidden in her sleeve. "Who would have thought that the old man's death would prevent you from fulfilling your wish?"

Fang Chongzheng remained silent for a long while before saying, "Switching prisoners for each other is fraught with risks, and then there was the sudden death of Mr. Su Heng. All of these things are related to the Ghost Gate. Even so, His Majesty still protected you. Why do you think that is?"

Fang Zilan's lips moved, but no sound came out.

"You know perfectly well what's going on, but you refuse to admit it?" Fang Chongzheng sighed. "The fire at Zuiyue Tower and the Hong Clan of Feiling Mountain—His Majesty didn't pursue any of it. It's not that he didn't care; it's just that he chose you."

"The substitution of prisoners for death was His Majesty's intention from beginning to end. I was the one who should have died, but you all wanted me to live." Fang Zilan remained unmoved. "After the old man passed away, I killed the Ten Kings of Hell to avenge him, which can be considered as fulfilling the bond between master and disciple."

She paused, "Furthermore, regarding the fire at Zuiyue Tower and the Hong family of Feiling Mountain, His Majesty did not pursue the matter not because of me, but because he dared not. He dared not investigate thoroughly, so he used me as a pretext."

Fang Chongzheng hesitated, but Fang Zilan continued, "His Majesty's so-called choice of me is nothing but a smokescreen. It may fool the world, but can it fool you?"

"Since you know this, why do you still linger in the southeast?" Fang Chongzheng frowned slightly, while Fang Zilan curled her lips. "You advised me before, and I know that even if I fight to the death and make a scene in front of His Majesty, I can't cause any major upheaval."

"Not only that," Fang Chongzheng interjected, "but there's an even greater possibility that you've completely angered His Majesty, and then, let alone saying it's the truth, you..."

He didn't finish his sentence, and Fang Zilan's smile widened. "I will die, that's inevitable. Everyone in the world will die, and every day we live is a journey towards death."

Fang Chongzheng wanted to say something more, but Fang Zilan interrupted him, saying, "If it can bring the truth to light and bring justice to all the deceased, then my death is nothing."

“But what if you don’t make it to that day…” Fang Chongzheng slammed his hand on the table, his chest heaving.

Fang Zilan was stunned. In her limited memory, she seemed to have never seen Fang Chongzheng so out of control.

So she composed herself and said, word by word, "You once told me—'The night is long, I can take my time. If I truly cannot make it, and collapse in the long night, then please walk to dawn for me." "Fang Zilan." From childhood to adulthood, Fang Chongzheng rarely called Fang Zilan by her full name. He suppressed his emotions, watching her stand up and then kneel before him. "The kindness of raising me is something I can never repay in this life. If there is an afterlife, I hope you will never meet me again."

On the day Xiahou Yunzhao was imprisoned, Fang Zilan finally appeared in court. Although she still looked sickly, she seemed to be in good spirits.

She looked at Dugu Linxiu and Wu Ying kneeling in the courtroom. One of them was kneeling, but her back was still very straight. The other was almost kneeling on the ground, as if she had lost all her strength.

The two were completely different, and their situations were also different. The former severed ties with the Dugu family, choosing to live and die with Fu Congnan, while the latter refused to let go of either side, hesitating and saying nothing, watching the Wu family teeter on the brink of collapse while half-heartedly sending the Xiahou family into the abyss.

"Wu Ying, that day you said it was a pity I lost." Dugu Linxiu stood up and suddenly asked before being taken away to be imprisoned, "And you, did you win or lose?"

Now she wears no jewelry or fancy clothes, and her long hair was cut off on the day she broke with the Dugu family. She is now tied behind her head with a piece of cloth, but she is meticulous about it.

Wu Ying looked up, hesitant to speak. Dugu Linxiu appeared calm and collected, but in reality, she cared more about winning or losing than anyone else; otherwise, she wouldn't have provoked her at this crucial moment.

But what does winning or losing really mean to her? It's something the Wu and Xiahou families care about, not something she wants.

Seeing that Wu Ying was silent with her head down, Dugu Linxiu did not press for details and was taken away.

Fang Zilan pursed her lips and quietly followed after her, saying, "Miss Dugu, please wait."

Dugu Linxiu stopped in her tracks. "Madam, there is no Dugu Linxiu before you, only Madam Fu."

Fang Zilan did not follow up on Dugu Linxiu's words, but instead said to herself, "I once had a friend who was similar to you. He staked his entire life on one person, and did everything in his power to ensure his legitimacy."

Dugu Linxiu remained silent for a moment, then asked softly, "And then?"

"Later, she also held power and fame," Fang Zilan said softly. "Unfortunately, she ended up dying and being forgotten."

As she said this, she looked at Li Qiyou, who was walking towards them. He clearly heard her words and subconsciously avoided her gaze.

Dugu Linxiu's gaze darted back and forth between Fang Zilan and Li Qiyou before she finally said, "Are you going to use his guilt for the rest of your life?"

“It’s not him.” Fang Zilan shook her head. Dugu Linxiu smiled indifferently. “Whether it is or isn’t, what does it have to do with me?”

"You know what I mean." Fang Zilan stared intently at Dugu Linxiu, her heart pounding like a drum, as if something was about to burst from her chest. "What...do you mean?"