Don't ask where people go

Chapter 1877 Dissuasion
Shang Zhongyi met Fang Zilan's gaze, and she looked at him steadily, "Young Master Shang, is there nothing else you want to say to me?"

"Yes." Shang Zhongyi nodded. "I heard that His Highness Prince Yucheng is going to Zhongling Temple to perform a religious ceremony for my uncle. I hope his trip will be safe and successful."

"What did you say?" Fang Zilan's expression turned cold, but Shang Zhongyi smiled. He was originally a handsome man with a broad forehead and a strong jaw, but for some reason, he now exuded an arrogant and domineering air. "Since His Highness Prince Yucheng wants to stay in the Southeast, I think this trip will allow him to get what he wants."

With each word he spoke, Fang Zilan's expression grew more somber, yet he remained oblivious, continuing, "I've also heard..."

He paused deliberately, "These past few days, there's been an extra coffin at the mortuary outside the city. The person inside doesn't seem quite dead yet. But once the coffin is nailed shut, can the person still live?"

Fang Zilan's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Who's inside the coffin?"

"The Crown Prince's wife should know him." Shang Zhongyi's smile widened. "After all, she attended his brother's ghost marriage not long ago. Although she messed it up, there must be some connection between them..."

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Zilan turned to leave, but he called her back, "Princess Consort, you can only choose between life and death."

Fang Zilan stopped and listened as Shang Zhongyi said to himself, "But if I were you, I wouldn't choose either of you."

"Is it that you can't, or that you're incapable?" Fang Zilan suddenly turned around and took a step forward. "If the person Cheng Zhiming is talking about is you, then I'd like to see what you've got."

"You'll regret this, Your Highness's wife." Shang Zhongyi laughed, clearly implying that no one could do anything about him.

Fang Zilan didn't waste any more words with him and left quickly. Fang Zitong thought for a moment, then instructed Meng Tingyang to take Awan and Wang Shen back to the Fang family first, and then chased after them.

"Wait for me." Fang Zitong couldn't catch up and a layer of fine sweat appeared on her forehead. But she saw Fang Zilan slow down, so she quickly grabbed her sleeve and whispered in her ear, "If Shang Zhongyi is the culprit, you might as well give up now."

"You know Shang Zhongyi?" Fang Zilan's expression froze. Fang Zitong's reaction made her realize that Shang Zhongyi was probably more than just the nephew of the Prince of Rong'an. She couldn't help but ask, "Who is he?"

“His surname is Shang,” Fang Zitong said quietly. “Haven’t you guessed it yet?”

"So what if the surname is Shang?" Fang Zilan clenched her fist, her hand hidden in her sleeve. "There are quite a few people with the surname Shang in the southeast..."

“He’s from Yancheng Manor. Otherwise, why do you think Mr. Xie was so easy to talk to just now, taking Cheng Zhiming into custody and then letting it go?” Fang Zitong interrupted Fang Zilan sharply. “He’s right. You shouldn’t have chosen either of them.”

"The lord of Yancheng Manor is not worthy of my deference," Fang Zilan sneered. "Besides, isn't Shang Zhongyi the lord of Yancheng Manor?"

“But Yancheng Manor belongs to the Shang family.” Although Fang Zitong tried her best to suppress her voice, she still couldn’t hide her emotions. “What kind of existence is Yancheng Manor? Even His Majesty and the Lord of Miluo Kingdom respect it the most and dare not make enemies with it.”

“Those in power are most afraid of ruining their reputation, so they fear being drowned in the spittle of Yancheng Manor and forever infamous by the pens of scholars and writers,” Fang Zilan said casually. “But I’m not afraid.”

Fang Zitong's lips moved, but no sound came out. For some reason, the words of dissuasion she wanted to say stuck in her throat. In the end, only a dry sentence remained—"If it is related to Yancheng Manor, then Mr. Xie cannot preside over the trial."

"A ghost marriage, and such a grand affair." Xie Chen looked at the wedding invitation in his hand, lost in thought.

"Brother-in-law, what do you think?" Xiahou Mingxun asked. Xie Chen didn't answer, but changed the subject, "Is there any progress on Lord Wen's death?"

Ye Yun shook her head. "Young Master Wen Ran didn't report anything unusual. He only said that Lord Wen died of illness." "Is Wen Ran trying to downplay this?" Xiahou Mingxun was stunned for a moment, then seemed to remember something and said, "His attitude when he came to me and Sister Yun before didn't seem like he would cover this up."

“Murder and death from illness require completely different approaches,” Xie Chen said succinctly. Ye Yun echoed, “Indeed, if it were treated as murder, it might drag on until the case is closed, and Young Master Wen Ran might not be able to inherit his Wen family’s official position.”

Xiahou Mingxun frowned. "Even if he dies of illness, funeral arrangements should come first. Wen Ran will not be able to obtain Lord Wen's official position in the short term."

"At times like this, it all comes down to who moves faster." Xie Chen snorted coldly. Xiahou Mingxun felt a flash of inspiration, but didn't seize it, so he could only ask, "What do you mean by that, brother-in-law?"

Ye Yun explained, "Mr. Xie means that whoever acts faster, Young Master Wen Ran or Miss Fu Mingyue, will have the Wen family's hereditary official position fall into their hands."

Xiahou Mingxun's brows relaxed. "If Wen Ran wants to inherit the official position, the mourning period for Lord Wen must end. However, the ghost marriage must take place on the seventh day after his death. If that young lady from the Fu family adopts a male descendant from a collateral branch into her family as soon as she enters the household..."

He didn't continue, but Ye Yun interjected, "Then the Wen family's official position has nothing to do with Young Master Wen Ran."

“It’s not entirely unrelated.” Xie Chen’s expression became more serious. “In these turbulent times, someone who has been absent for a long time suddenly reappears, so they certainly wouldn’t be unprepared.”

Xiahou Mingxun's expression was inscrutable as Xie Chen asked, "How many families received this wedding invitation?"

"We've received invitations from everyone in the entire Southeast, not just the powerful and wealthy, not just the aristocratic families." Ye Yun's expression was solemn. "Although this ghost marriage was arranged extremely hastily, the Fu family seemed to have made preparations in advance. The wedding invitations were delivered to each household overnight, and even the timing..."

She paused, and Xie Chen's gaze fell on the wedding invitation. He said quietly, "It's going to rain heavily tomorrow, so things won't be easy."

At the same time, Fang Zilan looked out the window at the dark clouds, her expression also somber.

"The Mo family came to our door yesterday, and today we received a wedding invitation for a ghost marriage." A-Wan's voice came from behind Fang Zilan. "The feng shui in the southeast is really not good."

"When did you become superstitious about feng shui?" Fang Zilan turned around and followed Awan's gaze to the wedding invitation on the table.

"Sent to you again?" Awan raised an eyebrow. "Since when did it become your place to make decisions about the Fang family?"

"This isn't a wedding invitation for the Fang family," Fang Zilan said helplessly. "It's for the Prince Zhongzheng of Miluo and his wife."

Awan remained noncommittal, while Fang Zilan said directly, "The young master's health is naturally not good enough to accept it, but I have no taboos, so I will accept it."

"You even called me superstitious about feng shui," Awan couldn't help but mutter. "Isn't that superstition too?"

Fang Zilan chuckled softly, "Of course not."

"What is that?" Awan asked, looking unconvinced. Fang Zilan drawled, "It's an excuse."

“The young master is unwell, and you’re in the same boat.” A-Wan sat down. “If you ask me, you shouldn’t accept it either.”

(End of this chapter)