After deceiving the villain, I was forced to love him.

Chapter 237 Unyielding Spirit, Unyielding to the End

Inside the manor, as the last ship docked, the restless Gu Tree finally came to a stop.

However, looking at it now, those fields and roads are completely gone.

In its place are groves of trees that have already formed a forest.

Nourished by those corpses, in just a few days, the Gu tree that was previously only at the exit has transformed into its current "magnificent" appearance.

Moreover, they know how to first take root and grow underground for a period of time before breaking through the soil and catching Lu Jian and his group off guard.

This not only put Lu Jian in a very passive position, but what's worse is that these Gu trees are no longer afraid of fire like the Gu trees in the capital before.

If it hadn't been for the discovery that the Gu Tree's attack power and growth rate would slow down at low temperatures, he might have become the most ridiculous emperor in history.

Helpless, Lu Jian was forced to go to the island, using the seawater as a barrier against the increasingly terrifying and grotesque trees.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, General Zhou and his men have thoroughly investigated the estate. It is extremely large and well-supplied, so there should be no problems in the short term."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about."

Zhang Shan asked, puzzled, "Your Majesty means...?"

"Wang Qingyan is best at killing people by destroying their spirit."

"If he dared to choose the old site of Zhaixingguan to lure the enemy, he might very well be setting another trap for me."

The most destructive schemes are those that give people hope only to drive them to despair and collapse.

“This…” Zhang Shan’s worry became visibly apparent.

It's unimaginable how devastating their defeat would have been if Wang Qingyan had truly foreseen this.

But as a close attendant of the emperor, Zhang Shan was always skilled at comforting people. "I have also seen the body of Guan Xing. Judging from the signs of the fight at the scene, Wang Qingyan must have been seriously injured."

"Besides, since the young lady did not choose to fight to the death, it means that things have not reached the point of no return."

Lu Jian couldn't help but ask curiously, "How do you know things aren't beyond repair? What if Baili Ce was indeed being controlled by Wang Qingyan, or was forcibly taken away by him?"

"This servant is not clear about the facts. I only think that the so-called restraint is nothing more than a strategy that is not sure of completely eliminating the other party. If it is a strategy, why can't the young lady be pretending to be weak to take advantage of the situation?"

"..." These words were like a wake-up call.

Lu Jian thought he might have fallen into Wang Qingyan's trap, but he didn't realize that Baili Ce, whom they thought was in a predicament, might have foreseen this predicament from the beginning and had already prepared a killing move.

As for Baili Ce...

“I remember that when General Luo found Baili Ce years ago, he made a comment.”

"Yes," Zhang Shan bowed slightly.

At that time, Lu Jian had just ascended to the throne, and the powerful families were at their zenith. He also did not have military power in his hands, so he could only rely on the strength of another powerful family and seek cooperation with them.

This comment was found by Zhang Shan, who searched through all the files and used every means possible to find it for Lu Jian.

"What is it?"

"We will never submit, even if it means being destroyed by a mountain of knives."

Even if mountains of knives crumble, we will never submit.

How could such a person be tamed, or accept their fate?

He beckoned Zhang Shan to come closer...

"Your Majesty!" The latter was shocked and turned pale upon hearing this.

He hurriedly knelt down to persuade Lu Jian to retract his order, but Lu Jian grabbed him.

"..." Faced with the resolute determination in the Emperor's eyes that seemed to tear everything apart, Zhang Shan paused... and then replied firmly, "This servant obeys!"

......

"Eight hundred miles urgent!"

"Eight hundred miles urgent!"

"Quickly! Open the city gates!"

As soon as the city gate opened, the people made way, and the couriers with command flags tied to their backs rode in one by one, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.

By evening, the palace, Baili Prefecture, and the Ministry of War had all received news that Lu Jian was seriously injured and on the verge of death.

Before Qian Li could send someone to invite them, Baili Ming and his group arrived at the Council Hall in the inner hall of the Ministry of War.

All irrelevant people were cleared out, and guards were deployed to guard the courtyard gate. No one had time for pleasantries.

Cui Yuanshu was the first to speak, "His Majesty's assassination attempt concerns the very foundation of the nation, and we must ascertain the truth of the news as soon as possible."

"As soon as the urgent report arrived, I sent someone to verify it. We will have news soon," said Baili Ming, the second person to report.

Qian Li asked疑惑地, "Patriarch Baili, your information network is always excellent, and the Investigation Division has spies all over the world, so how come this time..."

"Before His Majesty departed, he specifically instructed me to withdraw the spies from Hezhou and Hebei."

"It seems that the Linfu Division has been assigned an important mission and has withdrawn a lot of personnel. At this time, it is probably not advisable to notify the Investigation Division."

This means that Lin Yuchuan is also in considerable trouble, and this "important mission" is one of Lu Jian's trump cards. If Lin Yuchuan is rashly recalled, it will definitely make the situation worse.

Although He Yao was anxious, she understood that these urgent reports were not just about letting them know that Lu Jian was in a "critical situation".

"Given the current situation, I urge you all to make a decision as soon as possible."

Xue Fengshi cupped his hands in greeting. "If I may be so bold as to ask Your Majesty, is there any news about Supervisor Zhang in the urgent reports you received?"

“This is precisely what I am puzzled about. If His Majesty is truly in imminent danger and trapped by the thieves, then Supervisor Zhang could not possibly be unharmed.”

"If the area was truly surrounded, how were these messages sent out?" the Minister of War added another point of doubt.

After a moment's thought, Cui Yuanshu asked Baili Ming, "Is there any news about General Song?"

Bai Liming shook his head, and everyone looked at Qian Li, the Minister of War, who also remained silent.

“…” Cui Yuanshu sighed silently.

As one of the regents and the oldest official present, the decision on whether to send troops was certainly his to make.

He couldn't evade responsibility or give vague answers, but he still wanted to ask everyone's thoughts again: "Does Your Majesty think this matter is true or false?"

After a moment of silence, everyone's expression changed.

Xue Fengshi even felt that Cui Yuanshu's words implied a pressure on He Yao to make a statement, but seeing He Yao's rather embarrassed expression, he still spoke up, "Cui..."

"I really can't tell if it's true or false," He Yao replied directly, loosening her clenched fist.

"But it shouldn't be as serious as the emergency report described."

Based on her understanding of Lu Jian, it was possible that he was seriously injured by Wang Qingyan's schemes, but it was unlikely that he would be in dire straits simply because of the injury.

Putting aside the fact that every member of the Dragon Armor Army is a top-notch fighter, the fact that there has been no news about Lin Yuchuan, who was supposed to be a backup plan, is very suspicious.

What if this is exactly the outcome Wang Qingyan was expecting—their deployment of troops?

Power always breeds corruption and filth, and once the capital is vulnerable, it is difficult to prevent it from being exploited.

“But if we don’t send troops, we’ll have even more problems to consider.” The Minister of War clearly favored sending troops to rescue people.

Military merit is secondary; the key issue is that once the news spreads, the court will inevitably be thrown into chaos.

Given Lu Jian's current prestige, even if he knew it was inappropriate, many people would still urge him to send troops.

If they are further incited, it's not impossible for the people to rebel against the court.

The Empress Dowager's side is also a big problem.

He has the power to assist the emperor, and he only has one son, Lu Jian. If he uses his power to pressure the Ministry of War or is exploited by those with ulterior motives, things will not end well.

Or what if news spreads the next moment that those present deliberately did not save His Majesty? Wouldn't they be branded as traitors and rebels?

Being scolded is the least of my worries; the real fear is being accused of treason and killed by some hot-blooded idiots.

It should be noted that many civilians and soldiers had followed Lu Jian in exterminating the Gu Tree and besieging the Gu Guards. They didn't care about so many issues, and if they felt that the court was weak and incompetent, they were very likely to stage a mutiny.

Therefore, "whether it is true or false is not the most important issue; the key is the attitude of the imperial court."

"What the Minister of War said is absolutely right," Xue Fengshi wholeheartedly agreed.

"If the emperor is trapped and his ministers remain indifferent, how will the court gain the trust of the people in the future?"

After carefully considering his words, he continued, "The insidious aspect of an open conspiracy lies in the fact that it can only make the choice that minimizes the loss based on the other party's judgment."

"As court officials, we should also prioritize His Majesty's safety and not take any chances."

Although they had different concerns, he generally agreed to send troops.

Next, Baili Ming made his statement.

Compared to the multi-faceted and comprehensive analyses of the others, her statement, "I agree with sending troops," was quite direct.

what?

Cui Yuanshu paused slightly, somewhat surprised. He had assumed that Baili Ming would not approve of sending troops. "Patriarch Baili, could you share your thoughts?"

"I just wanted to save people."

Sigh... After a heavy sigh, Cui Yuanshu stood up helplessly. It seemed he had no choice but to fight against "the world."

"I do not approve!"

? ? ! !

Several faces showed shock!

"A matter of vital importance to the state, a matter of life and death, a matter of survival or extinction."

"Your Majesty is not our Your Majesty, but the ruler of the world."

“That is precisely why we should send troops,” Xue Fengshi said.

"What if this leads to us being controlled by others, and our court officials, and even Your Majesty, are plunged into an abyss of no return?"

"This..." Xue Fengshi wanted to refute, but couldn't find a reason to do so.

Qian Li rose and bowed. "Your Majesty's concerns are understandable, but the court is currently wealthy and militarily strong. Sending troops to rescue His Majesty is not yet necessary..."

The Minister of War paused, hesitated, and dared not continue.

"It seems that Minister Qian has also thought of this."

"It's just some speculation, nothing serious." He still felt that He Yao was worrying unnecessarily.

guess?

"Please enlighten me, Your Majesty." Xue Fengshi was naturally not very clear about this matter.

He Yao looked at Baili Ming, "Does the patriarch still remember the essence of 'Seeing the Moon'?"

Bai Liming was taken aback, and her expression suddenly changed.

After a moment, he replied, "Use poison to control poison."

His voice was tinged with an unusual sense of dejection, and after landing, all that remained was an unyielding helplessness.

Taking a deep breath, He Yao made a great decision, "You are all key ministers, and you must understand that what we need to protect is not just His Majesty's safety."

"What does Your Majesty mean?" Xue Fengshi asked.

"The threat of early-onset problems has never actually been eliminated."

“Once Wang Qingyan seizes the opportunity, the Gu scourge will definitely make a comeback, and it will be a hundred times worse than before.”

With a whoosh, Xue Fengshi jumped up, his face turning deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his back in disbelief. "How is this possible?!"

"After the 'Moon-Seeing' incident became widespread, the Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel clearly received reports that the Chaosheng (a type of official) had been eliminated! I have also personally visited the area many times, so how could it not have been eliminated!"

“Nothing is impossible,” Cui Yuanshu said calmly. When Lu Jian entrusted him and Baili Ming with the first batch of antidotes, he felt that things were not so simple.

Only now does he realize that the antidote is only temporary.

"..." Xue Fengshi lowered his hands, remaining in a daze for a long time.

Doesn't this mean that the so-called antidote is just a "self-deceiving scam"?

After a long silence, the Minister of War rose and bowed, saying, "In that case, everything is up to Your Majesty and Minister Cui to decide."

......