Don't ask where people go

Chapter 1850 Hesitation
“Shang Zhongyi is not innocent, and it’s not difficult to ruin his reputation,” Murong Qing pondered. “The difficulty lies in dealing with the Shang family and Yancheng Manor behind him.”

Fang Zilan nodded slightly, "Although Shang Zhongyi is the young master of Yancheng Manor, if something happens to him, Yancheng Manor may not stand on his side. On the contrary, the Shang family will definitely try their best to protect him."

“That’s right.” Murong Qing echoed, “Once the Shang family can’t protect Shang Zhongyi, then Yancheng Manor will probably have to change its ownership to Xiahou.”

"Isn't his surname Xie?" Fang Zilan interjected nonchalantly. Murong Qing smiled. "The Xie family only has Xie Chen left, and he has no children. The descendants he raised all bear the surname Xiahou..."

He paused mid-sentence, and Fang Zilan glanced at him. "It seems the young master has thought of something. Everyone in the world says that Xie Chen is in charge of Yancheng Manor. It's likely that Shang Zhongyi and the merchants behind him have a lot of grudges because of this. They don't dare to be enemies with the Xiahou family, but if it's just Xie Chen, they might have some ulterior motives."

“But how can Xie Chen and the Xiahou family be separated?” Murong Qing’s expression was inscrutable. Fang Zilan said calmly, “Has the young master considered what Xie Chen would do if General Xiahou Yunzhao in prison confessed?”

"You mean, Shang Zhongyi and the Shang family's target was never Xie Chen, nor the Xiahou family, but Xiahou Yunzhao?" Murong Qing frowned. "No, not from beginning to end. Shang Zhongyi only emerged after Xiahou Yunzhao went to prison, meaning the Shang family initially didn't want to get involved in the Southeast case..."

“It’s not that we don’t want to,” Fang Zilan interjected. “After all this time in the Southeast case, how many of the powerful families are still innocent? Not to mention the merchants who are related to Prince Rong’an through marriage. They can’t withstand scrutiny. But I guess Xie Chen didn’t originally intend to investigate them.”

“I understand.” Murong Qing pursed her lips and said, “Xiahou Yunzhao’s imprisonment has given the merchants an opportunity. They want to kick Xie Chen out and take complete control of Yancheng Manor.”

"Your Highness, is it really only now that you've figured it out?" Fang Zilan looked at Murong Qing with a more scrutinizing gaze. "Did you deliberately tell Shang Zhongyi about Xiahou Yan informing you, just to conceal Zixiu's true identity?"

"What do you think my motives are?" Murong Qing asked instead of answering. "Do you think I'm colluding with the Shang family to switch the blame for Shang Zhongyi's alleged collusion with bandits onto the Xiahou family?"

“I didn’t say anything.” Fang Zilan waved her hand. “It’s just that since the young master can see that I believe in the Xiahou family more than others, then you should know that if you choose the Shang family, we will stand on the opposite side.”

“Sister, your speculation comes from the account book in your hand. Although I don’t know exactly what’s recorded in it, I can guess that it’s related to the bandits of Mangshan.” Murong Qing changed the subject. Fang Zilan raised an eyebrow. “What does the young master want to say?”

Murong Qing said quietly, "If it can be proven that the nephew of the Prince of Rong'an, who the Liu family claims is colluding with the bandits of Mangshan, is indeed Shang Zhongyi..."

He didn't continue, and Fang Zilan said in a deep voice, "If the Shang family sever ties with Shang Zhongyi at that time, and pin all the blame on him alone..."

"Regardless of anything else, Yancheng Manor is renowned throughout the world for its education and nurturing of people. If the Shang family sever ties with Shang Zhongyi, they will surely have to reflect on their failure in educating their son." Murong Qing interrupted Fang Zilan's next words, calmly saying, "At that time, the Shang family will never be able to hold their heads up in front of Yancheng Manor again."

Fang Zilan seemed to be deep in thought, and continued to ask, "What if the Shang family didn't sever ties with Shang Zhongyi, but instead severed ties with Prince Rong'an?"

"When the merchant family married off their daughter, they should have foreseen this day." Murong Qing curled her lips into a somewhat wicked smile. "Only now that Prince Rong'an is dead do you want to sever ties? Don't you think it's too late?" "If I weren't here, this ritual would probably have to be performed by someone else." Fang Zilan curled her lips again. "If such a thing were to happen, Your Highness, who would you like to invite to perform the ritual for you?"

She spoke casually, but Li Qiyou understood her implication clearly: "You mean someone wants to kill me?"

Fang Zilan nodded. "I had to deal with several waves of assassins to get to Zhongling Mountain. Your Highness doesn't think they were after me, does he?"

Li Qiyou remained silent, so Fang Zilan continued, "I went to great lengths to prevent Master Ranzhu from sending His Highness's body down the mountain."

"What do you want?" Li Qiyou stared intently at Fang Zilan, who casually pulled over the prayer mat beside him and sat down next to him. "Doesn't Your Highness know what I want?" Fang Zilan didn't look at Li Qiyou, but instead stared up at the tall Buddha statue in the hall, its painted and gilded body magnificent.

Li Qiyou opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Fang Zilan said, "Or is Your Highness going to pretend to be ignorant?"

"I came to Zhongling Temple for Prince Rong'an..." Li Qiyou began, but Fang Zilan interrupted him, "You stayed in the southeast just to hold a religious ceremony for Prince Rong'an in the name of the royal family? Do you think that will preserve Prince Rong'an's posthumous reputation?"

As she spoke, she turned to look at him, meeting Li Qiyou's eyes, which were full of hesitation and uncertainty.

"Your Highness, am I perhaps feeling guilty because I hit a nerve?" Fang Zilan's expression turned cold. Li Qiyou lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. "You wouldn't understand..."

He didn't continue, and Fang Zilan snorted coldly, "I really don't understand. All I know is that the Li imperial family is supported by the people, so they should do something for them, instead of exploiting the people and then expecting them to sing their praises..."

“I didn’t,” Li Qiyou couldn’t help but retort, but Fang Zilan spoke first: “Your Highness Prince Yucheng, do you know how much silver this ceremony will cost, and how much offerings Zhongling Temple will need from the people? When Prince Rong’an was alive, he did nothing for them, yet now that he’s dead, he’s still exploiting them. What kind of logic is this?”

Her chest heaved, and she was unusually agitated. "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have saved you in the Northern Border. And I shouldn't have wasted my energy at Zhongling Mountain."

She spoke very softly at the end, but Li Qiyou still heard her. His lips moved, and after a long while, he said, "Is that really what you think in your heart?"

Fang Zilan did not answer, but changed the subject and said, "I came here only to retrieve the remains of Prince Rong'an. Since Your Highness is here, I will greet you and fulfill our friendship of sharing we have been through thick and thin together."

"The remains cannot be given to you." Li Qiyou said seriously, while Fang Zilan smiled contemptuously, "Your Highness, do you think you can stop me?"

“Prince Rong’an is my royal uncle, and his remains are his last act of dignity…” Li Qiyou was interrupted by Fang Zilan before he could finish speaking, “They are also evidence.”