Don't ask where people go

Chapter 2002 Clues

Fang Lihui smiled, still looking nonchalant, "As long as Miss Zhen isn't afraid of ruining Qianjinfang's reputation, I'm not afraid of damaging the Fang family's reputation either."

“Fame?” Fang Zilan chuckled. “What is that? I can create it, and I can destroy it.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shengxuan couldn't help but say, "If the truth can be found out, it won't be difficult to clear the names of the Fang family or Qianjinfang. The difficult part is what you meant by saying earlier that you wouldn't let the person behind Yin Quanzhang go."

“I know your people are tied up,” Fang Zilan said calmly, “but my people aren’t.”

"What do you mean?" Li Shengxuan and Fang Lihui asked in unison, but Fang Zilan did not answer. Instead, she looked towards the door and called out, "Since we're here, come in."

Li Shengxuan and Fang Lihui exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes. However, Fang Zilan glanced at them and said, "Please do as you please. There are some things you cannot hear."

Before she could finish speaking, Mingxiang pushed open the door and entered, followed by a man—none other than Lin Jian, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) who had accompanied her to Linjia Village during the plague years ago.

Li Shengxuan and Fang Lihui then realized that Fang Zilan had other plans, and that she had other people besides Mingxiang. But since she had already been asked to leave, they couldn't linger any longer.

Since entering the guest room, Lin Jian had been staring intently at Fang Zilan with red eyes, as if he wanted to bore a hole through her.

Fang Zilan remained sitting upright until everyone else in the room had left, leaving only her and Lin Jian before she spoke, "Since you're here, sit down and let's talk."

Lin Jian clenched his fists and slowly sat down opposite Fang Zilan. "You really are..."

"In this world, besides the late Duke Yue himself, who else could know about your ten-year pact with him?" Fang Zilan interrupted Lin Jian, slamming the plum blossom sword onto the table. "Even if you don't recognize me, you should at least recognize this sword, right?"

"You're not dead?" Lin Jian's voice trembled slightly. Fang Zilan nodded slightly. "I'm not dead, but I couldn't keep our ten-year promise. I didn't kill Prince Rong'an."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh, "In fact, I don't want him to die like this."

"If you didn't kill Prince Rong'an, then who did..." Lin Jian stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Fang Zilan poured a cup of tea and handed it to Lin Jian, saying, "As expected, Prince Rong'an did not die of illness."

Master Liaoyuan sat upright and said, "This morning when I burned incense, I saw that the incense smoke was shaped like a lotus flower. I thought that a distinguished guest was coming to visit, so I prepared tea here to welcome him."

Fang Zilan didn't speak, but simply picked up her teacup and took a small sip. Mo Han, standing beside her, also took a sip of tea.

"Master's tea is indeed excellent." Fang Zilan slowly set down her teacup. "However..."

She didn't continue, and Master Liaoyuan smiled slightly, "Lord Fang, you might as well speak frankly."

"This tea is good, but it was picked at the wrong time of year, so it is inevitably astringent," Fang Zilan said calmly. "If we wait patiently for a few days and get spring tea, and then have it brewed by a master like this, it will be absolutely wonderful."

"This tea was sent by His Majesty's order," Master Liaoyuan said with a smile. "This humble monk truly did not expect His Majesty to be in such a hurry."

His words were loaded with meaning, and Fang Zilan's expression tightened. "What do you mean by that, Master?"

"It's just casual conversation, Lord Fang, there's no need to be nervous." Master Liaoyuan's smile faded, and he said gently, "May I ask what brings Lord Fang here today?"

Fang Zilan said calmly, "Listen to the sutras to calm your mind." "Lord Fang has something on his mind, so even if he listens to the sutras, it will be difficult for him to calm his mind," Master Liaoyuan said. "However, since Lord Fang has come to Baiye Temple, this humble monk should help you relieve your worries."

Fang Zilan raised an eyebrow. "I wonder how Master intends to relieve my worries?"

“Lord Fang is a man of war and conquest, skilled in strategizing and tactics, making him most suitable for a heart-to-heart talk through chess.” Master Liaoyuan bowed and said, “Lord Fang, would you be willing to play a game of chess with me?”

“It’s not that I’m unwilling,” Fang Zilan said with a troubled expression, “it’s just that I don’t know how to play chess, and I don’t even know the rules very well.”

"It's alright. Playing chess is like two armies going to war. Master Fang, just do what you want." Master Liaoyuan stood up and took the chessboard and chess box.

Fang Zilan hesitated, and Master Liaoyuan smiled and said, "Master Fang's attitude of being on high alert makes this humble monk seem reckless."

"Master, you flatter me." Fang Zilan took a chess box and placed it beside her, then reached out and took out a chess piece, clutching it tightly in her hand.

"Very well, this humble monk will not make things difficult for Lord Fang." Master Liaoyuan looked at Mo Han and said, "If Lord Fang is truly unwilling, he may ask this young master Mo beside him for assistance."

"Help?" Fang Zilan was taken aback, then blurted out, "Master, are you going to fight two against one?"

Master Liaoyuan nodded slightly, "It's not impossible."

Fang Zilan chuckled, "The master may not know, but my cousin has been playing chess since elementary school. I wouldn't dare say he's an expert, but..."

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, then changed the subject, "It's too rigid of me to talk about winning or losing. Since the master has spoken, then Mo Han, you can join me."

After she finished speaking, she placed the chess box between the two of them. Master Liaoyuan said, "Please, both of you."

Fang Zilan placed her first piece without hesitation, and Master Liaoyuan immediately placed his piece as well. Mo Han picked up a piece and placed it next to her.

Of the three, Fang Zilan was the fastest at placing her pieces, almost always without hesitation. Mo Han, on the other hand, filled in any gaps in her skills after Fang Zilan and Master Liaoyuan, making him the slowest to place his pieces.

As for Master Liaoyuan, although he was a little slow in the first few moves, he maintained his own rhythm and was quite relaxed in the later moves.

In less than an hour, the chessboard was filled with pieces from the three players. Fang Zilan took a deep breath and was about to remove the losing pieces when Master Liaoyuan stopped her.

Fang Zilan withdrew her hand, looked up and asked, "Does Master feel that the situation is too stalemate and there is no need to continue the fight?"

"Firstly, the situation is indeed tense. Secondly..." Master Liaoyuan paused, "I already know the intentions of Lord Fang and Young Master Mo, and I have no intention of fighting again."

"Oh?" A hint of curiosity flashed in Fang Zilan's eyes. "Please enlighten me, Master."

"Lord Fang has a broad vision and a good grasp of the overall situation. Young Master Mo is meticulous and pays attention to details." Master Liaoyuan sighed, "The two of you work together so well that I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

“It is already quite remarkable for a master to fight two against one,” Fang Zilan said apologetically. “Mo Han and I outnumbered each other, so even if we won, it would be an unfair victory.”

“Lord Fang is a bit too competitive,” Master Liaoyuan said noncommittally. “On the battlefield, striving for victory is the norm. However, in ordinary times, there is no need to be so eager to win. People are not always in control, just as water is not always in shape. An eight-win-seven-loss situation is the best.”