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

Upon entering the Baili residence, Baili Chengjun pointed to the study and asked what this place was, wanting to go inside and take a look.

A moment later, he stood on the pavilion by the artificial hill and said the scenery was very nice.

Later, even when looking at a pile of stones, he would praise, "The royal family values ​​prestige, and noble families value etiquette; their reputation is truly well-deserved."

Then, as I looked around, I arrived at the "Tongcai Institute".

And it made demands that violated the principles of bookkeeping—

I want to see the ledgers.

"Heh~" Old Hou, the accountant, curled his lips in disdain and casually rang the bell hanging beside him.

A moment later, he heard a series of clattering sounds approaching him.

"Where are they?! Where are they?!"

"Where is it?!"

"They're over there! Don't let them get away!"

A group of male and female helpers wielding sticks, brooms, kitchen knives, and spatulas swarmed in front of Baili Chengjun in an instant, blocking him, Hanlin, and a dozen guards at the entrance of Tongcai Academy, and started fighting without saying a word.

"How dare you! You are... ah..."

Before Lao Houzhen could even curse or reveal his identity, Baili Chengjun was beaten into silence.

After the fight, Lin Yuchuan arrived at just the right time.

Everyone stood obediently to the side.

"What's going on?" Lin Yuchuan strode into Tongcai Institute, his eyes sweeping over the "kind and simple" helpers.

The investigators, who were well aware of the situation, exchanged glances but didn't know what to say.

Upon seeing Lin Yuchuan's police uniform, Baili Chengjun was about to cry out for help, "Save me..."

Before he could even open his mouth, he was drowned out by a cacophony of voices: "Oh, sir! This man has broken into a house and is after the family's property. You must do us justice!"

Some even knelt down on the spot, exclaiming, "Look how badly he beat us!"

"My abacus, which I've used for ten years, has been ruined."

"Yeah, yeah, my legs are about to break."

"My hands too."

"My head too."

“Sir, look, look, the wound is so long.”

As Old Hou spoke, he leaned close to Lin Yuchuan to show him his injuries, and the other accountants followed suit and gathered around.

Lin Yuchuan had no choice but to yell back, "How dare you! Be quiet!"

"..." The accountants immediately shut their mouths, looking rather annoyed.

Seeing that they were somewhat sensible, Lin Yuchuan didn't bother arguing with them anymore. "Who reported the incident?"

“It’s me,” Feng Deng stepped out from the corner and bowed.

Unmoved by this, Lin Yuchuan coldly sized Feng Deng up and down, "You're the steward of Baili Prefecture?"

"Yes"

Lin Yuchuan glanced at the investigator beside him, signaling him to begin taking a statement. "Say it again, what do you want to accuse Baili Chengjun of?"

"..." Baili Chengjun looked terrified!

What! What!

He hadn't even said anything yet, and this old guy was already trying to turn the tables?!

Han Lin was completely dumbfounded. Had his young master done something he didn't know about?!

Accountant: What?! He really is the Sixth Young Master?!

Helpers: Is it too late to kowtow and apologize now? Can you please let go of my wife whom I haven't even met yet?

Feng Deng turned to Baili Chengjun with a calm and resolute expression, his face filled with resentment but without the slightest panic, "I will accuse him of murder for money and robbery!"

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Baili Chengjun pushed himself up from the ground, but fell down again because he and Han Lin were tied back to back. "My lord! This dog servant is talking nonsense, you must not believe him!"

"These scoundrels are clearly abusing their power and seizing control of Baili Prefecture! Your Excellency, you must investigate this thoroughly!"

Panicked, Han Lin blurted out, "Yes, sir, you can't protect them!"

Lin Yuchuan had never been kind to these scions of aristocratic families, and after the Xie Yunxiang incident, his impression of them worsened.

Upon hearing Baili Chengjun use the term "dog slave," he immediately became displeased and shouted, "Shut up!"

"Don't speak unless asked."

"This prefecture will make its own judgment on right and wrong."

"..." Baili Chengjun was so angry that he trembled, but he could only shut up helplessly.

However, the charge of "murder for money and robbery" is no small matter. Even if Feng Deng reports the crime, Lin Yuchuan won't let him lead him by the nose. "Do you have any evidence?"

"The evidence is on Baili Chengjun. If Lin Fusi doesn't believe it, he can search him."

"..." Upon hearing Fengdeng say this, Baili Chengjun immediately realized something, and his face turned deathly pale.

He could no longer utter the words of injustice.

They could only cower and desperately squeeze their way back through the cold forest, their eyes filled with fear and guilt.

He kept those things close to his body just for safety, but he never expected...

Lin Yuchuan's expression grew increasingly solemn. When he received the report, he assumed it was just another internal strife among the sons of wealthy and powerful families and didn't take it too seriously.

He wouldn't have come in person if he hadn't wanted to take this opportunity to investigate whether the Baili family was doing shady business like the He family.

But looking at Baili Chengjun's current appearance, it seems like there really is something going on.

"Search"

"No! You can't search me!"

"What are you doing! What are you doing?! I am the sixth young master of the Baili family, I am a nobleman! You cannot humiliate me like this!"

"Let it go! Let it go...give it back to me! Give it back to me!"

After a futile and violent struggle, the investigators still managed to find evidence in Baili Chengjun's arms.

A letter, an ebony hairpin.

Before the investigator could even present the items to Lin Yuchuan, Old Hou rushed over and started punching and kicking Baili Chengjun.

"You bastard! What have you done to our young lady?!"

"Quickly pull him away!" Lin Yuchuan was starting to get a headache.

Unexpectedly, Old Hou's thin body suddenly burst forth with astonishing strength, shouting, "Let go! Let me go!"

"I want revenge for the young lady! Let me go!"

Even with four investigators working together, they couldn't completely restrain him, and they could only watch as he kicked and stomped at Baili Chengjun.

He even spat like a street thug, showing absolutely no manners of a scholar.

"Whoosh!" But when one of the inspectors who had been kicked drew his sword, he nimbly retreated.

"Thump!" He then knelt down before Lin Yuchuan with a thud.

The floor tiles were almost cracked.

He cried out in anguish, "My lord, you must do justice for my young lady!"

"Don't let this bastard get away... this... this guilty man..." Old Hou paused, stammering out a statement he wasn't entirely satisfied with.

Lin Yuchuan frowned seriously. "Get up and speak."

Old Hou didn't waste any time. He got up, wiped his nose and tears, and began to express himself with great emotion, "My lord, you may not know this, but this ebony hairpin is the key to unlocking the Baili family's treasure trove."

"It also contains a private seal, which is used for depositing and withdrawing large sums of money."

"This item is always carried by the young lady and is never separated from her."

"If things hadn't happened so suddenly today, I wouldn't have revealed the master's secret like this."

"But now that the hairpin is in this thief's hands, the young lady is probably... probably in grave danger!"

After speaking with great sorrow, Old Hou looked at Baili Chengjun with grief, "No wonder you said you wanted to see the account books as soon as you arrived. So that's what you meant. How vicious you are!"

"I, I..." Baili Chengjun truly understood what it meant to be speechless and overwhelmed by irrefutable evidence today.

Lin Yuchuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Although the accountant's words were exaggerated, ...

Gently turn the widest end of the ebony hairpin, and it actually opens, revealing a private seal inside.

It's small and exquisitely carved; you can push it out by gently turning the other end of the ebony hairpin.

The key is--

The seal looks quite old, with traces of ink still remaining on it.

This indicates that it was not a temporary imitation.

Furthermore, judging from Baili Chengjun's performance, it doesn't seem like he was framed at the last minute.

But out of caution, Lin Yuchuan still revealed the letter.

"No!" Baili Chengjun saw Lin Yuchuan open the letter and instinctively tried to stop him, but was held down firmly by the investigator beside him.

After Lin Yuchuan finished reading the letter, anger immediately appeared on his serious face.

This is Baili Ce's distress message.

Judging from the contents, the situation is indeed extremely critical.

"..." Baili Chengjun deflated in despair.

"Young Master Baili, come with us."

"..." As the investigators separated him and Han Lin and took them away, Baili Chengjun could only obediently accept his fate.

"And you all, come with me too."

"Yes," Old Hou said, feeling that he had acted and sat upright, and immediately expressed his opinion on behalf of all the accountants.

Fengdeng bowed and said calmly, "Sir, could you please be lenient and allow me to settle things in this household before I go with you?"

Lin Yuchuan silently scrutinized Fengdeng... After a while, perhaps out of some consideration, he still agreed without a trace of emotion, "Report to the Investigation Division in one hour."

"Yes"

After the officers from the Investigation Division left, Fengdeng went to Qufeng Pavilion.

Before even entering the pavilion, he patted his sleeves and bowed deeply to the people inside, saying, "This old servant greets the young lady."

As dusk fell, the shimmering water reflected the sunset glow across the lake. Baili Ming stood in the pavilion, his eyebrows and eyes tinged with a faint blush in the afterglow.

"Well done." Turning around, Baili Ming's hair, styled in a bun, had a red sandalwood hairpin carved with a rabbit on it, which shone brightly in the rosy light of the lake.

Feng Deng stood up, saying with a mix of pride and humility, "Not at all, it's all thanks to Miss's excellent teaching!"

Bai Liming sat down casually. "Nothing happened at the accounting office today, right?"

"No, given the temperament of those people, they would certainly know whether the Sixth Young Master's identity is true or false."

"Even if the old master himself came today, without a letter from the young lady in his own handwriting, he would absolutely not let them take a single penny or even glance at the account book."

"What about the people in the manor?"

"The kitchen staff are all fine, but the accountants got a few bruises, though they were just minor cuts and bruises, and they were having a good time."

"It's just a pity for Old Hou; he'll probably have to worry about the young lady for quite some time."

Old Hou?

That damned accountant!

That's okay.

"That's right." Do you really think that scions of powerful families seizing power is child's play, so easy?

Without even thinking, why would Baili Ce so easily use an ebony hairpin to ask for help?

That's so stupid.

"Then... what about the Investigation Division?" Feng Deng asked.

Baili Ming watched as the fish swam to the surface with a casual flick of a silk scarf, and without looking up, instructed, "Speak freely and without reservation."