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

The day after Baili Ming made his grand pronouncements, news of his house arrest reached Lu Jian.

"This news has been circulating for at least two months. It seems they've kept the capital under tight security."

"That is indeed the case, but I have also discovered that General Luo left the capital more than a month ago and has not returned since."

A month or so? That's the time A Yao disappeared... Lu Jian suddenly had a bad feeling.

"I remember this old master is sixty years old, isn't he?"

"Your Majesty, he is sixty-three years old."

Lu Jianying frowned slightly, his doubts growing stronger. "At such an advanced age, how can he still have the energy to take over the Baili family again?"

"Besides, wasn't he diagnosed as unable to walk ten years ago by Physician Lu? How come..."

Lin Yuchuan clasped his hands in a bow, "This is the second matter I wish to report."

"Bai Li Jiangluo looks much younger and walks with ease."

Lu Jian paused slightly, as if he had grasped something, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Is the intelligence accurate?"

"No mistake," Lin Yuchuan said decisively.

After a moment's thought, Lu Jian sat down and calmly analyzed the situation. "Ten years ago, Baili Jiangluo was disheartened because of his leg injury, and then Baili Ming got married, which gave Baili Ce the opportunity to take over the Baili family."

"Now that Baili has taken back power from Luo, I'm afraid it's not just about wanting to be the head of the family."

"Your Majesty is wise. It's just a pity that Miss Baili and the young lady contributed a lot in the previous battles. Those who can be commanded by them are either not in the capital or there are very few left. Right now, there is not even anyone to deliver messages."

This means that Baili Jiangluo has more people under his command than Baili Ming.

No, even if Baili Ming has few people in the capital, he must have at least one or two hundred.

In addition, she has been operating in the capital for many years and has been involved in many court struggles, so her sense of crisis and ability to save herself are only high.

If Baili wants to seize her power, he needs to prepare at least three to five hundred men, without considering external assistance.

But the old man has been out of charge of the household for a long time and has been recuperating in Xizhou. Where did he get so many people to serve him?

Unless... the Gu Guards!

Lu Jian understood immediately; he was now basically certain what that old man had done behind his back.

He slammed his fist on the table in anger, "That old bastard!"

"..." Lin Yuchuan was startled and shuddered. He instinctively felt that this was not the behavior that his increasingly mature emperor should exhibit.

But remembering that Lu Jian had previously complained about being poor and cursing people in court, she wisely pretended nothing had happened and directly asked him for instructions on the next plan.

"After all, Baili Jiangluo's base is in Xizhou. Should Your Majesty send someone to Xizhou to investigate?"

"No need, you may leave."

"Yes"

"Wait a minute," Lu Jian called out to Lin Yuchuan as he turned his head.

"Let's send someone to take a look."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange it immediately."

"No," Lu Jian immediately interrupted him, "You go yourself."

"But didn't you say?"

"I have another candidate for Baili Ce. Don't delay, set off as soon as possible."

what?

Why the sudden rush?

Having served as the Prefect for so many years, Lin Yuchuan had grown accustomed to Lu Jian's style of doing things. No matter how outrageous the process was, it would eventually lead to the ending that His Majesty desired.

"Yes"

Seeing that Lin Yuchuan didn't ask any further questions, Lu Jian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, the reason he changed his mind at the last minute was not because he suddenly felt that Xizhou was worth exploring.

The old man went directly to the capital to harm his own daughter, so what important things could he possibly have left behind in Xizhou?

impossible.

He did this purely to get Lin Yuchuan away so he could see Baili Ce.

......

It would be much easier to get rid of Lin Yuchuan, who would definitely not let him see Baili Ce alone, and then get rid of Physician Luo and the Ancestral Gu, which claimed to have lived for a long time but was actually not as strong as a finger of his.

With almost no trickery, Lu Jian, dressed in casual clothes, climbed over the wall into Baili Ce's house.

At that time, because she had killed someone again yesterday, she was finally chained up by the ancestral Gu, who was disguised as Sun Niangzi, with tears streaming down her face.

He just didn't expect that she wouldn't be sleeping in the middle of the night.

"..." As their eyes met, Lu Jian saw that apart from the gray and white in his eyes, the aura of death surrounding him, and the blood on his hair and hands, he seemed to be no different from others.

probably.

"So you finally figured it out."

As soon as he said that, Lu Jian's uncertainty immediately disappeared.

"You're really sober?!"

Lu Jian asked the question with almost ecstatic joy, so much so that he didn't even notice the distance beneath his feet.

Bai Li Ce felt his killing intent boiling over. "Stay away from me!"

Thump thump thump! !

Seeing that Baili Ce's back teeth were clenched, Lu Jian quickly retreated to the doorway!

That was close!

"You?" He was confused. How was this state any different from that day on the island when he tormented Wang Qingyan and wanted to tear him to pieces?

"Not exactly...conscious, just...still has my own...consciousness" and he stuttered.

"Phew..." Lu Jian breathed a long sigh of relief.

I didn't pay attention to Baili Ce's stuttering.

He took two quick steps forward... then retreated slightly, "If you can maintain your own consciousness, isn't it possible for others to do the same?"

"Hmm?" The anger and irritation in my heart subsided considerably in an instant.

No, are you crazy?

I'm a "murderer" now, and I'm always ready to "dig out your heart and lungs." You, the emperor, risked your life to climb over the wall at night just to ask this?

"Clang..." As he thought about it, that violent energy rose up again, from the inside out, making the iron chains rattle.

Bai Li Ce turned his head to one side, refusing to look at the face that was somewhat distant in front of him.

"..." However, for some reason, Lu Jian walked directly in front of her!

"how did you do it?"

If Baili Ce can control it, then his A Yao can definitely do it too.

Bear it, you must bear it!

"You... ask the important questions."

“This is very important.”

"It's important to you too."

Bai Li Ce suddenly turned her head, and the iron chain was pulled with a loud bang.

"..." In the suffocating sense of urgency, Lu Jian refrained from retaliating.

Trembling, he let go of her hand... Baili Ce took a few steps back in fear... and finally, little by little, slowly sat down.

Then she raised her stiff hand and patted her chest, "Probably... because it's still red here."

She grew up under that red color.

Even though I never had the chance to join that organization, I always had "It" in my heart and always loved it.

For someone like her, from the bottom of society, "He" was like a god.

The rich never help the poor, and there are no stories of princes on white horses and Cinderella rescuing them.

But "He" will.

It not only alleviates poverty, but also inspires ambition.

Therefore, she felt that even if she reached a dead end, she should not give up on who she used to be.

Persistence may not change the world, but it will certainly not be changed by the world.

"..." Lu Jian didn't understand, but he saw piety on Baili Ce's face.

Clean and pure, like the moonlight outside the window.