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

After returning from the He residence, Baili Ce had originally planned to stay indoors for several months.

Unexpectedly, she did not receive any news of her becoming the laughing stock of the capital for several days.

It was later learned that the reason was that a delegation of Hu people from the north was coming to the capital to deliver a letter of peace, and the new emperor issued a decree forbidding the people of the capital from criticizing the situation, so as not to damage the face of the Great Wei.

The scope of this situation where criticism is not allowed is very broad.

However, because the punishment was severe, it did have a significant effect.

At the same time, it also answered another question that Baili Ce had.

Why didn't He Shoufeng use this incident to ridicule her at the banquet?

It wasn't because that old man still had a conscience; it was because the news was cut off before it even reached the He family.

Since the connection had already been severed, how did Zhou Tianli know about it?

The answer quickly reached her.

"Young lady, you were right," Seventeen said as she entered the study with a secret report in her hand.

Bai Li Ce took the secret report and read it... his expression gradually became clear, "Patriarch Zhou has doted on this younger brother since childhood, so it is only natural that he would do this much for him."

"Moreover, this is also a good opportunity for the Zhou family to gain the new emperor's trust."

“But she shouldn’t have traded your friendship for personal gain. It’s a shame the young lady considered her a friend.” Although Seventeen was exceptionally capable, she was only sixteen years old after all, and she was naturally indignant at this act of betraying her friend for personal gain.

"Heh," Baili Ce chuckled indifferently. In the business world, there are no friends.

"With family interests first and her younger brother's life second, it's understandable that she did this."

"However, Wang Qingyan probably thought that I was unwilling to marry him because I was worried that the Wang family was too powerful and that I would have no one to support me after I married into the family. That's why he sent the Zhou family head to set a trap and wanted to use the new emperor to make me agree to the marriage."

As everyone knows...

This new emperor is actually a double agent. He's definitely telling the royal family on one hand: "Okay, okay, I'll officiate the marriage for both of you."

On the one hand, she instructed Zhou Tianli to lure them to a meeting, thus creating obstacles for Wang Qingyan...

They are two-faced and will never truly rely on any powerful family.

"..." Seventeen thought about it seriously, but still didn't quite understand.

Seeing that he was overthinking things, Baili Ce simply told him directly, "Patriarch Zhou has suggested that I marry into the Wang family several times. At first, I thought she was joking."

"It wasn't until Manager Lin and her maid started making a scene in the He family's kitchen that I realized she was doing it on purpose."

After a brief moment of reflection, Seventeen finally fully understood Baili Ce's meaning. "No wonder Fang'er was so persistent that day. She must have been instructed by Patriarch Zhou to distract Chief Lin and allow the new emperor to meet with you alone."

"This is just one of them."

"If I'm not mistaken, the new emperor did indeed promise Wang Qingyan a marriage between the Baili family and the Wang family, or something else. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed so easily to something as important as suppressing the rebellion in the northern frontier."

Therefore, Zhou Tianli genuinely felt that she couldn't refuse the marriage alliance with the Wang family, and she didn't want to offend Lu Jian, so she went along with it, hoping to gain favor from both sides.

But Zhou Tianli clearly didn't expect that the new emperor not only didn't want to keep his promise, but also wanted to betray her.

After this incident, she will definitely be wary of the Zhou family and even more disgusted with the Wang family.

This has stirred up the animosity between powerful families.

In the future, it will be easier for Lu Jian to intervene in the relationships between aristocratic families using imperial power or to leverage their strengths.

Seventeen nodded in deep agreement, "If it were a royal marriage, it would indeed provide greater security for you and the Baili family."

"But if that's the case, once the marriage is arranged, there will be absolutely no room for reconciliation."

"And what about the old master's side..." Seventeen immediately fell silent when Baili Ce gave him a sharp look.

A royal marriage would indeed make her treated with even greater respect by the royal family.

Conversely, with the royal marriage, the power of the Wang family, the He family who couldn't stand seeing the Baili family doing well, and even Zhou Tianli who compromised for her brother, if they dared to break off the engagement or refuse, it probably wouldn't be as simple as just committing suicide.

The minimum punishment is confiscation of property and exile.

Most importantly, the old master will definitely not let her off easily.

Taking a deep breath, Baili Ce felt utterly exhausted. "These people are all so treacherous."

"In that case, why doesn't the young lady cooperate with His Majesty sooner?"

Cooperation?

Seeing Seventeen's anxious expression, Baili Ce thought to himself that he was still too young and his thinking was not cunning enough. "Would you pay a deposit before seeing a sample?"

This is especially true for a monarch who doesn't take the concept of "a word being as weighty as nine tripods" seriously at all.

"Definitely not."

"That's it, His Majesty thinks so too."

So all she has to do is wait patiently.

"Can the medicines given by the Wang family head really cure Young Master Zhou's illness?" Seventeen asked again.

Baili had dealt with medicinal herbs quite a bit, so she naturally knew a bit about pharmacology. "Illnesses that are born from the mother's womb are not so easy to cure."

"However, it's possible to prolong her life by a few more months," which is why she had previously planned to marry into the Zhou family.

After all, if she really had to get married, being a relatively free widow was definitely better than being a resentful woman who was oppressed.

"Paying such a high price just to extend one's life by a few months?" Putting aside his stance, Seventeen found it hard to believe.

"Ha, you think those medicines are easy to find?"

This question raises some doubts about the Wang family's strength.

"Besides Wang Qingyan, I'm afraid no one else could have prepared all those medicines."

It is still available in unlimited quantities.

Damn, they're really powerful and influential!

"Should we suspend business with the Zhou family?"

"not necessary"

"However, we should still inform the young lady in advance."

"Understood. If the young lady has no further instructions, I will carry them out immediately."

"Well, let's go."

After bowing and leaving the courtyard, he walked with such light steps that he seemed about to leap up.

It turns out that she really didn't want to marry Wang Qingyan.

......

Lu Jian's "sample" arrived even faster than Bai Lize had imagined.

Before anyone could even react, the imperial decree had reached Baili Ce's hands.

The Wang family was also among the first to receive the news.

"Encouraging agriculture and sericulture..."

Wang Qingyan read it softly, his smile gentle as water, "Heh, our Emperor is quite something."

When I opened my hand, the paper was already in pieces, gone with a gust of wind.

They actually dared to pull something like this at a time like this.

I underestimated him before.

The old steward stood to the side with his head bowed, his heart pounding with anxiety. "Those who encourage agriculture and sericulture must go deep into the fields and understand the people's sentiments."

"We provide full supervision of various matters, including farming, mulberry planting, silkworm rearing, and pest control. Sometimes we even have to live in the village."

"Although other people will accompany her, this young lady of the Baili family comes from a prestigious family and has been pampered since childhood. She is unlikely to be able to endure this hardship, so the head of the family doesn't need to worry too much."

"Furthermore, matters concerning agriculture and sericulture have traditionally been entrusted to male officials."

"To send a noblewoman to do it is somewhat like they want to see her make a fool of herself," the old steward subtly told Wang Qingyan, implying that the new emperor was still on the side of the Wang family.

The main reason for doing this was to embarrass Baili Ce.

result--

Wang Qingyan looked coldly at the old steward, feeling that he had become increasingly confused in his actions and words lately.

"The Baili family owns vast tracts of fertile land, and she also has a considerable amount of private property. Does she intend to manage all of it herself?"

The butler was speechless.

Isn't this defending him? Why are you arguing with him?

Wang Qingyan looked displeased. "Even if Baili Ce doesn't understand, there are plenty of people in the Baili family who do."

But that’s not the most important thing.

Most importantly, "to prevent dereliction of duty and neglect of public duty for private gain, those in charge of promoting agriculture and sericulture should either mobilize their entire families to work together."

"Either one cannot arrange marriages or take concubines while in office."

"Encouraging agriculture is an extremely arduous task, and it requires a long-term commitment. Furthermore, Young Lady Baili is not yet married. Therefore, wouldn't you, Master, be..."

The old butler didn't dare say what came next.

Once the imperial decree was issued, even if Baili Ce agreed to the marriage, he would find it difficult to marry.

However, if he does not marry into the Baili family, all his efforts will be in vain.

But if he is dissatisfied and insists on making a scene in front of the palace, Lu Jian will definitely say: "Oh dear, it's not that I don't want to bestow it upon you, it's just that something has delayed me, please wait a little longer..."

"Okay, you go down."

"Yes," the old butler glanced at Wang Qingyan's expression and, seeing his "deflated" look, assumed he had swallowed this bitter pill, and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

Unexpectedly, after he left, a mocking smile appeared in Wang Qingyan's cold eyes.

.....

The Imperial Palace, Chenyue Pavilion.

He Yao, whose hair was simply styled with a jade hairpin, was sitting at the table, munching on fruit while watching Lu Jian write imperial edicts. "Isn't Your Majesty afraid that the Wang family will turn against you by doing this?"

Lu Jian habitually ignored He Yao's dangling feet, not thinking he had any problem. "I didn't say I wouldn't grant the marriage. He also has military power in the Northern Frontier. What reason does he have to turn against me?"

He Yao paused for a moment... Although it was shameless, it made a lot of sense.

"What about Baili Ce? I remember that this job has never been done by women."

“There is a first time for everything. Since women in our dynasty can also take the civil service exam, why can’t women be in charge of promoting agriculture and sericulture?”

"Moreover, if this is done well, it will not only bring blessings to all people, but also make us famous in history."

In other words, I am thinking of the reputation of the Baili clan!

"Oh, so they should thank His Majesty?"

"Of course," Lu Jian replied without even blushing.

"Moreover, in order for Baili Ce to fully demonstrate her abilities, I chose the most difficult place for her. Isn't that thoughtful of me?"

He Yao exclaimed, "That's so unfair!"

But at the same time, I was also curious, "Could it be some poor, remote place in the Northwest or Hezhou?"

“No, no, no, how could it be that far?” Lu Jian immediately denied.

No matter how shameless I am, I would never send Baili Ce to those godforsaken places.

"Oh..." He Yao was relieved. She knew that her emperor was sensible in his actions.

But the next moment he said, "What's so difficult about being in a remote and impoverished area?"

Is there a place more difficult than a remote and impoverished area?

He Yao stopped moving... then realized what was happening and jumped off the table, "Could it be... the Three Cities?"

“Yes, that’s right,” Lu Jian said, looking excited and eager for praise.

The three cities are Lincheng, Shucheng, and Jicheng.

In the area where these three cities meet, the fields are barren, bandits roam freely, and the forces involved are complex.

To successfully promote agriculture and sericulture, it is essential to leverage the influence of the Wang family in Lincheng and obtain Wang Qingyan's consent.

"This..." He Yao couldn't find the words to describe it for a moment.

If Lu Jian didn't have the title of emperor, I would have really wanted to ask him if he was sick, "Didn't His Majesty not want the Wang family and the Baili family to marry? Why is he like this now?"

Lu Jian put down his pen and pinched He Yao's chubby cheeks. "It's far away, but it's not as heart-wrenching as it's right in front of you but you can't have it."

"I want Wang Qingyan to see it but not be able to have it, to feel like his heart is being torn apart."

......