Don't ask where people go

Chapter 2020 Left Behind
“Cheng Zhiming, I’m talking to you about right and wrong, but you’re talking to me about the gains and losses of different positions.” Fang Zilan’s expression darkened. “In your heart, are pirates, plagues, and human lives merely stepping stones on your way to the capital?”

"Otherwise what?" Cheng Zhiming chuckled, his tone tinged with self-mockery. "Lord Fang was born in the capital, how could he possibly understand someone like me who struggled with everything to even reach your starting point? I paid the price, only to suffer a crushing defeat. Why should I?"

Fang Zilan stared at Cheng Zhiming for a long while before sighing softly, "Stubborn and unyielding."

"The victor is king, the loser is villain; there's no need for further comment, Lord Fang." Cheng Ziming turned his head under Fang Zilan's gaze, and heard her ask softly, "You feel you've lost. Then do you think I've won?"

Her simple question was like a boulder thrown into calm water, stirring Cheng Ziming up a storm that left him unable to calm down for a long time. Instead of answering, he asked in return, "Didn't you win?"

“I have fought on the battlefield and experienced countless wars, large and small. Most of the time, I won, so I can stand before you now,” Fang Zilan said calmly. “But once off the battlefield, many things are not a matter of winning or losing.”

"What did you say?" Cheng Zhiming heard his own voice tremble slightly.

Fang Zilan was very different from what he had imagined. She was overly indifferent to his so-called winning and losing, which made him afraid that the words he was about to hear from her would casually destroy his unwillingness to accept defeat. As a loser, if you lose even your unwillingness to accept defeat, there is no possibility of ever making a comeback.

"Back then, I advised His Majesty, ruining your path to advancement. It seemed like I won and you lost. Then, Prince Rong'an entered the capital, the princess died, and I was universally condemned. It seemed like we both suffered losses." Fang Zilan's face remained calm and indifferent, as if she were talking about something unimportant. "Now, I have spared my life but have submitted to someone else. Prince Rong'an's body is nowhere to be found, and you are trapped in a corner. Who has lost, and who has won?"

She paused, then said, word by word, "Instead of fighting for a temporary victory, we should think about what we can leave behind."

The next morning, the heavy clatter of armor roused the sleeping men, and chaos erupted throughout the Drunken Moon Pavilion. Fang Zilan casually draped a fox fur cloak over her shoulders and went outside, leaning against the railing, coldly watching the soldiers who had surrounded the waiters below—they were from the Jiangnan Camp.

A crowd of people leaned against the walls upstairs, most of them watching the spectacle with bewildered expressions, until the commander downstairs, clad in armor and armed with weapons, roared "Search!" This gave them a clue, and they began to whisper among themselves.

Fang Zilan yawned as she listened to a cacophony of guesses. Some guessed that a high-ranking official in the Drunken Moon Pavilion had lost some rare item, while others guessed that a young master or lady had gone missing. In any case, no one guessed that the missing person was the current emperor.

It seems the news was well contained; not a single word leaked out. However, this might mean Li Shengxuan's guess is not necessarily true. If there were spies in the Jiangnan camp, the news would have spread like wildfire long ago.

Or perhaps the spy's rank was too low to know about the emperor's disappearance?

No, if a spy could collude with mountain bandits and outlaws, betray military intelligence, and cause the capital to suffer repeated defeats, their rank would certainly not be low...

"Why can't we go up?" Awan's voice suddenly rang out. Fang Zilan looked over and saw that she and Mingxiang were being stopped by soldiers guarding the stairs.

"We are conducting a search under military orders. All unauthorized personnel, please retreat." The soldier's voice boomed like a bell, silencing the surrounding area completely.

However, Awan had been serving in the army with Fang Zilan since the Northern Frontier, and was not afraid at all. "Sir, you have your military orders, and I have my master. Please do me a favor. I just need to take one look to confirm my master..."

"Military orders are absolute, how dare you act so unreasonably?" The soldier glared angrily. Seeing this, Fang Zilan quickly approached. "Awan, Mingxiang, I'm fine." Hearing this, the soldier turned to look at Fang Zilan and asked routinely, "Are you the hostess? Have you registered at Zuiyue Tower? How many servants do you have?"

Fang Zilan nodded slightly and said, "That's right, I am the host. I have four servants registered at Zuiyue Tower."

"Four people?" the soldier frowned. "Where are the other two?"

"Well..." Fang Zilan looked around, then asked Awan and Mingxiang, "Where did Ada and Aer go? Why didn't they come with you?"

"A-Da" and "A-Er" refer to Li Shengxuan and Xiahou Zhang. When they were hiding their identities and changing their names, they were not satisfied with any of the choices. Fang Zilan thought they were too picky, so she deliberately gave them two very ordinary names and wrote them directly on all the documents.

With things having come to this point, there was no turning back. Li Shengxuan and Xiahou Zhang could only accept it. However, their names and altered appearances did indeed become the best shield, and no one paid any attention or aroused any suspicion along the way.

However, if placed under the watchful eyes of the soldiers in the Jiangnan camp, it might not be possible to fool them.

Awan and Mingxiang knew this too, so they stammered and gave irrelevant answers. Fang Zilan frowned and pretended to be surprised, saying, "What did you say? Ada and Aer aren't in the building. Did they go to buy sesame cakes?"

"It's not a sesame seed cake, it's some kind of flower cake." Awan feigned a troubled expression. "They spoke too fast, I didn't hear them clearly, it was something like flower cake..."

"Why can't we buy flower cakes at Zuiyue Tower? Why do we have to go out to buy them?" Fang Zilan deliberately raised her voice. A Shi downstairs understood immediately and waited at the door for Li Shengxuan and Xiahou Zhang, who were hurrying back upstairs. She handed them a flower cake.

Li Shengxuan was initially confused, but he still had Xiahou Zhang take the steaming flower cakes. It wasn't until the two reached the standoff between Fang Zilan and the soldiers that he finally understood. "Master..."

"So you finally know how to come back?" Fang Zilan said coldly. "We couldn't find you early this morning. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were my owners."

Upon hearing this, Li Shengxuan blinked innocently, snatched the flower cake from Xiahou Zhang's hand, and handed it to Fang Zilan, saying, "I specially bought this; it's delicious, Master, please try it!"

His obsequious manner lowered the soldiers' guard somewhat. After confirming his and Xiahou Zhang's identities, they waved for them to leave.

Unexpectedly, Li Shengxuan and Xiahou Zhang had only taken two steps and had not yet reached Fang Zilan's side when they heard a shout from downstairs, "Wait!"

Li Shengxuan and Xiahou Zhang stopped in their tracks, Fang Zilan's expression hardened, Awan and Mingxiang exchanged glances, and finally all five of them looked at the person who had spoken.

"I wonder which shop's flower cakes you two bought?" The commander asked with a forced smile. "I've been craving flower cakes from Suzhou for a long time, but I don't know which one is the best. The one you two chose to buy from, even though you've already given up the flower cakes from Zuiyuelou, must be really delicious."