Don't ask where people go

Chapter 1876 Avoiding Suspicion
"Amitabha. Lady of the Crown Prince, the grand ceremony is about to begin. The abbot requests your presence." The monk bowed to Fang Zilan, who nodded slightly. "Thank you for leading the way, young nun."

She followed the monk to the front of the main hall and saw that the hall door was wide open and there was a coffin inside, which she assumed contained the remains of Prince Rong'an.

At this moment, Li Qiyou stood in front of the incense table next to the coffin, preparing to perform the sacrificial ceremony. There were many people around, including monks who were chanting sutras and striking wooden fish for the grand ceremony, as well as pilgrims from the temple.

"How long will this grand ceremony last?" Fang Zilan yawned and asked the monk beside her in a low voice. He coughed lightly and said, "Amitabha. Lady of the Crown Prince, please be solemn."

Seeing Li Qiyou standing blankly in front of the altar after offering incense, looking completely lost, Fang Zilan couldn't help but ask again, "What's going on now? Is His Highness Prince Yucheng going to recite a sacrificial inscription?"

The monk next to her took a deep breath, and before he could explain, she said, "That sacrificial text wouldn't be praising Prince Rong'an, would it?"

The monk sighed deeply and said helplessly, "The Crown Prince's wife..."

"Okay, I won't say anything more." Fang Zilan waved her hand, looking resigned. "I'm really bored. I can go for a walk, right?"

Before the monks could react, she walked to the edge of the crowd, next to the temple gate, just a few steps away from Li Qidaoyou.

The monk wanted to follow, but there were too many people and he couldn't squeeze through. He could only open his mouth, but his voice was too soft and was drowned out by the sound of the wooden fish. He didn't dare to make too much noise and be considered a nuisance, after all, he couldn't bear the crime of disturbing the grand ceremony.

So he could only watch helplessly as Fang Zilan stood in a conspicuous position, and after thinking for a moment, he decided to pray that she wouldn't say anything out of line. However, before he could even begin, a loud crash was heard, and the Buddha statue in the main hall collapsed with a deafening roar.

The crowd scattered and fled. The monk's eyes were blinded by dust, but he could vaguely hear someone shouting, "Protect His Highness!"

Yes, His Highness Prince Yu Cheng is standing right in front of the main hall, bearing the brunt of the fall. If the Buddha statue collapses, he'll likely be the first to be crushed. What will happen if a powerful royal prince dies at Zhongling Temple?
His worries vanished in an instant at Li Qiyou's voice, "Princess Consort, how are you? Are you injured?"

The Crown Prince's wife? The monk rubbed his eyes haphazardly, and when he looked closely, he saw Fang Zilan lying on top of Li Qiyou, with the nearest piece of Buddha statue no more than half a tuo away.

Fang Zilan coughed for a while, then slowly straightened up from Li Qiyou's arms. "I'm fine."

She dusted herself off and tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell back to the ground. "My leg..."

"You got hurt?" Li Qiyou only then noticed the blood on Fang Zilan's leg. He looked at her in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?"

Fang Zilan forced a smile. "I saved your life on the northern battlefield. How could I let it go so easily?"

"Don't say anything more..." Li Qiyou's eyes were red. He picked Fang Zilan up and carried her to the hospital. "I'll take you to get treatment first."

Fang Zilan didn't speak. She leaned against Li Qiyou's chest and looked at the open space in front of the main hall. The coffin that was originally there had been smashed to pieces by the Buddha statue, revealing the blackened bones inside.

Fang Lihui pursed his lips. "The details are probably known to no one except the bandit leader of Feiling Mountain."

"Minor details?" Fang Zilan pondered these four words, suddenly realizing that Fang Lihui might know more than he said, and that the shipment might only be the tip of the iceberg... "Young Master!" An anxious voice pulled Fang Zilan back to reality. She looked over and saw a burly man rushing towards her, saying, "More people are coming from Feiling Mountain!"

Fang Lihui was taken aback for a moment, then sighed softly, "They came really fast."

Fang Zilan asked thoughtfully, "Who are these people who came back this time?"

"The second-in-command of Feiling Mountain is their strategist," the burly man muttered to himself. "The people ahead left not long ago, and now the second-in-command of Feiling Mountain is here. It's unbelievable, did he fly here?"

“It didn’t fly over.” Fang Zilan said calmly, “It seems that the second leader of Feiling Mountain was waiting at the foot of the mountain early in the morning, just waiting for the messenger to report so that he could decide whether to come over in person.”

Fang Lihui nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. The people in front were probably just testing us; this second-in-command of Feiling Mountain is the real boss."

"Who cares if he's the real boss or not." Fang Zilan snorted coldly. "I want to see the leader of the Feiling Mountain bandits. No one else matters."

“Sister Lan, you are mistaken.” Fang Lihui shook his head slightly and said, “This second-in-command of Feiling Mountain is shrewd and experienced. Even though I have been in the business world for so many years, it is still difficult for me to deal with him.”

Fang Zilan looked surprised. "Cousin, are you joking?"

Fang Lihui lowered his eyes and said, "There are always people more capable than me, and there's always a higher level to reach. There are countless people in the world more capable than me, and even in the business world, I wouldn't dare to..."

"Why be so modest, Young Master Fang?" A hearty laugh drowned out Fang Lihui's words. The person could be heard before they were seen, and the loud voice was full of the boldness of a martial arts master. He didn't seem as difficult to deal with as Fang Lihui had said.

Then a kind and honest face appeared in front of Fang Zilan. She stared at the owner of the face, looking him up and down carefully for a long time, but she could not see any shrewdness or cunning.

"Miss Zixiu, you've been looking at me for a long time. Have you figured anything out?" The second leader took the initiative to throw the question to Fang Zilan. She composed herself and said, "Nothing. I was just wondering why it was you who came."

"My eldest brother was delayed by something, so I had to come instead. Please forgive me, Miss Zixiu." The second-in-command spoke the lie with his head held high and his face without batting an eye, as if the person he had sent earlier had been gone for a long time, long enough that he had discussed it with the bandit leader of Feiling Mountain.

Sure enough, appearances can be deceiving. Fang Zilan chuckled inwardly, but still asked casually, "In that case, may I ask what brings you here, Second Master?"

"That's the question I should be asking Miss Zixiu," the second-in-command said, taking the initiative. "I heard from my men that Miss Zixiu insists on seeing my boss. May I ask what it's about?"

"Since you know the person I want to see is your boss, why ask this unnecessary question?" Fang Zilan's expression turned cold. "What makes you think I'd be willing to talk to you?"

"I..." The second-in-command opened his mouth, but Fang Zilan cut him off, "You are not worthy to talk to me. I'll say it one last time, either your boss comes to invite me in person, or I'll burn Feiling Mountain down."

"Why is it like this? Miss Zixiu, please don't be angry." The second leader said with a smile, "I know I am not worthy to speak with Miss Zixiu, so I specially brought someone with me. Perhaps Miss Zixiu will change her mind when she sees him."

(End of this chapter)