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

"After I formally accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty, I'll trouble you to take good care of me... and my brothers."

"Hey, no, you..."

An Luo said to himself, "Nobody is born a bandit."

“I know I’ve done a lot of bad things and killed a lot of people.”

“I deserve what I got, but I had no choice.”

After a long silence, shedding his flattery and playfulness, Baili Ce's face finally showed some seriousness.

"So, you're repenting now?"

If you truly wish to repent, I suggest you first ask the Criminal Investigation Department whether they agree.

"If repentance is useful."

Bai Lizhe told him bluntly, "It's useless."

"Could we involve as few people as possible?"

"..." Bai Li Ce's expression became increasingly puzzled.

What the hell is he talking about?

And this attitude, the change is too abrupt and too fast, isn't it?

Doesn't it need any transition at all?

"you......"

Before Baili Ce could ask, An Luoshi had already stood up. "I originally planned to have Wang Qingyan come in person."

Ha, that's hilarious!

"Why would someone with so much power and influence come in person?"

It's normal practice not to come in person.

Because some acts of rescuing people single-handedly are really stupid.

"Yes, I only realize it now. He didn't need to do it himself at all..."

Brushing the grass clippings off his clothes, An Luoshi's face showed utter helplessness.

It was as if, after countless struggles and resistances, he could only compromise and submit in the end. "Once the imperial edict arrives, I will personally escort you down the mountain."

"Of course, if you really want to promote agriculture and sericulture, I can cooperate with you."

"What do you mean by 'really want to do it'? Haven't I been working very diligently these past few days?"

An Luo couldn't help but fall silent.

He then added, "However, I don't have much time and not much knowledge. How well I can do it depends mainly on myself."

"...Okay." Baili Ce, who couldn't figure it out for a moment, simply nodded.

Seeing her "completely understand" expression, An Luoshi felt relieved.

He clasped his hands in a deep bow, his sincerity utmost, and said, "Then I'll leave it to you."

"My esteemed employer."

Let's put aside the question of whether it's prestigious or not for now.

In short, watching An Luo's departing figure, Bai Li Ce began to feel arrogant.

While feeling bloated, she lay down in the haystack with her eyes closed, humming a little tune, looking quite content.

However, as she gently stroked the patterns on the box with her fingertips, she was actually thinking about how to uproot the He family completely.

Lu Jian did not send troops, nor did he send any other officials to the mountain to handle the pacification efforts.

That means tacitly allowing her to turn the three cities into her own territory.

The dog emperor must have agonized over this decision for a long time, even grinding his teeth in frustration, before finally making it.

But compared to the situation where the Wang clan became the sole dominant force after the elimination of the He family, the current situation of a three-way balance of power between the Wang clan, the imperial court, and the Baili clan is much better.

In this way, the Baili family can also survive in Chang'an under the new policies.

She has almost finished repaying what she owes to this surname.

When I leave in the future, there won't be too many entanglements.

but......

Before she could completely bring down the He family, she needed to confirm one more thing.

......

The capital city, the prison of the Investigation Department.

In the brightly lit prison cells, flickering figures were accompanied by wailing and howling, or sobbing and screaming, rising and falling in each torture chamber.

Lin Yuchuan glanced at Baili Chengjun, who was sitting next to him in shackles and trembling, and ordered the jailer in charge of the execution, "Begin."

"Yes!" The jailer, who was half-naked, first cracked the whip, then dipped it in a bucket of seawater before lashing it at Bicui with all his might.

Salt is so expensive, and the budget is so limited, Lin Yuchuan wouldn't be foolish enough to just use salt to dilute it.

This seawater has been repeatedly settled. Take the saltiest layer, apply it to your body, and it will cause excruciating pain. It will quickly pry open the mouths of these people.

"what--"

At first, Bi Cui could still cry out in pain during the first few lashes, but after twenty lashes, she could only gasp for breath.

"No, no... please, please stop hitting me..." Baili Chengjun, who was standing to the side, was so frightened that he curled up in the chair, closed his eyes tightly, covered his ears, and was so thin that he was lifeless.

After the thirty lashes were finished, Lin Yuchuan raised his hand to stop the jailer from carrying out the punishment.

He stepped forward and lifted Bi Cui's chin. Her once beautiful face was now even uglier than the bark of an old tree in a stinking ditch. "Is the young lady willing to speak now?"

“…” Bi Cui never expected that Wang Qingyan would send her back to the capital overnight and hand her over to the Investigation Department.

Lin Yuchuan let go, and Bi Cui's head drooped limply.

Thick, fresh blood dripped from her chin onto the dirty ground.

"Why bother, young lady?" Lin Yuchuan walked with his hands behind his back to the wall covered with torture instruments. He had seen all kinds of prisoners and knew all too well how to win their hearts.

"There are indeed many people here who would endure torture rather than utter a single word for the sake of their so-called beliefs, ideals, loyalty, or personal gain."

"The premise is that it is meaningful."

There are plenty of tough nuts to crack, but there are even more wronged souls.

"Does the girl think everything you've done is meaningful?"

"Or is it that the sacrifices you think you've made will be remembered by someone?"

"Sigh..." Lin Yuchuan sighed coldly, feeling somewhat pathetic.

This self-indulgent and utterly foolish behavior is truly pathetic.

"Even the most handy knife is still just a knife."

"If it's no longer useful, who wouldn't just replace it?"

"After all, for many people, as long as they have food to eat, they would be willing to be a dog, let alone a knife."

"Girl, how different do you think you are from those other people?"

“…” Bicui gasped for breath.

Countless moments here, she felt like she was about to die.

But every inch of her body ached, reminding her all the more clearly—

She is still alive.

Living in this dark and dreary dungeon, where every day is filled with different tortures.

Lin Yuchuan was adept at reading people's expressions. Seeing the subtle changes in Bi Cui's eyes, he gave a signal and had someone pull back the black cloth covering the wall behind her.

The cascading sunlight then fell upon Bi Cui and the blood-stained ground.

Even the terrified Baili Chengjun slowly opened his eyes, gradually relaxing, and stared blankly at the light streaming in from the window.

Soon, I felt warm all over.

Lin Yuchuan stretched his hand into the sunlight, and the dust particles in the air danced and floated between his fingers. "Freedom, warmth."

"Flowers covering the mountains and fields."

"What wonderful stuff!"

"Why don't you know how to cherish it?"

Bai Licheng stood up in alarm, his lips trembling.

Bicui also slightly raised her eyes.

Lin Yuchuan stopped talking.

Instead, he waved for the jailers to take the two away and imprison them separately in dark cells where there was no sunlight.

Inside Shangyang Palace, after listening to Lin Yuchuan's report, Lu Jian rubbed his throbbing temples. "How many more days?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, Baili Chengjun will confess tonight."

"As for Bicui... it will probably take another five or six days."

Lu Jianying raised an eyebrow, his dark circles under his eyes carrying a sharp, imposing aura. "So long? Didn't I say I would stop at nothing to achieve my goals?"

"When did your Criminal Investigation Division's punishments become so useless that you can't even handle a young girl?"

Only those who have actually interacted with Lu Jian know that he has never been a benevolent ruler.

Lin Yuchuan had felt this way for days, so he clasped his hands and bowed again, answering cautiously, "Although Bi Cui is a woman, she is resilient in spirit."

"First, let her suffer physical pain, then destroy her will, only then can we get the answer His Majesty wants."

"So..." Lu Jian reluctantly accepted this explanation after hearing it.

However, once something has been done, there's no need to feign benevolence or righteousness.

In other words, go even further.

"From tonight onward, do not let her hear a single sound in the dark cell."

"And don't let her have a single moment to rest."

Lin Yuchuan was taken aback, thinking to himself that Lu Jian was ruthless enough, no wonder he was the emperor.

Then Lu Jian continued, "The night after tomorrow, find a few people to kidnap Baili Chengjun. Remember to make sure to pass by her cell and make a big commotion."