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

As news of Baili Ce's impending departure for the Three Cities spread, various speculations about her arose.

Some say that Baili Ce suffered this calamity because he offended Consort Xuan's maternal family.

Some say that the new emperor entrusted Baili Ce with important responsibilities because he wanted to use the Baili clan to deal with the Wang clan and other powerful families.

Even more outrageous rumors circulated that Baili Ce disagreed with the marriage to the Wang family because she harbored an unspeakable illicit love affair...

However, among the many rumors, the most outrageous is that—

The new emperor was enraged because he had taken a liking to Baili Ce but was rejected, so he came up with this idea to torment her.

The goal was to force her to comply.

"Slap! He..."

"What a load of bull!"

When Lu Jian and Baili Ce heard the news, one of them slammed his hand on the table and almost cursed in front of all the ministers.

One of them directly revealed one of Li Yunlong's classic quotes.

"Young...Young lady?" Bi Cui, who had studied etiquette with Bai Li Ce since childhood, was so shocked that her eyes widened and she gasped.

The servants outside also began to peek inside.

"What are you looking at! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!" Baili Ce roared, and they all turned their heads away in unison.

Bi Cui quickly put down the ink stick and went to close the study door, lest Bai Li Ce say something inappropriate again.

"I...I..." Baili Ce was so angry that his blood boiled and his teeth chattered.

She'd love Lu Jian to the point of madness?!

She was even trying to get his attention?!

shit!

But then Bicui lectured her, "How can you utter such vulgar words?"

“I…” Baili Ce turned his head.

Bi Cui knelt on the right, her hands raised to her head, and prostrated herself on the ground. "Please, young lady, calm your mind and behave properly."

"..." made her even angrier.

There's a lump in my throat, I can't get it up or down.

Lu Jian, who was sitting in Shangyang Palace discussing matters, was in no better shape; his fists were clenched so tightly that the veins on his hands were about to burst.

What does it mean to love Baili Ce but not be able to have him, and then hate him because of that love?

He has a wife, okay?

"check!"

At the same time, in different locations, two people, both furious, issued the same order: "Investigate thoroughly!"

"I want to see who has the audacity to spread rumors about me!"

You bastard! You better not be on the land of Wei, or when I catch you, I'll skin you alive!

"I'd like to see who can't control their mouth!"

asshole!

You'd better not let me know who you are, or you'd better hide your ancestors for eighteen generations, or don't blame me for cursing your ancestors' graves until they're smoking and your whole family wets the bed!

"Yes," Bicui immediately sent someone to investigate.

After leaving Baili Prefecture, the first thing they did was go to a jewelry store...

......

Shangyang Palace.

The ministers standing in the hall were either sweating profusely or feeling uneasy, and none of them dared to volunteer to investigate.

So, for the first time, Lu Jian unreasonably withheld half a year's salary from the Investigation Department, saying that the salary would be paid whenever the person spreading the rumors was found.

At that moment, Wang Qingyan looked at the compiled news, his unfathomable eyes filled with a bright smile.

Like ice finally melting, it gradually flows with a warming emotion.

"Go pick out a few gifts, and come with me to Baili Prefecture this afternoon." But as soon as he spoke, he was still noble and elegant, without a trace of commonness.

"Yes"

The young butler, who was not yet familiar with Wang Qingyan's way of doing things, first agreed to the order, and then asked as usual, "Should we send a visiting card first?"

"not necessary"

"Yes"

After Yun Su left, Wang Qingyan gently flicked the papers on the table with his finger.

He didn't care about any other news, but the one that "the new emperor has taken a liking to Baili Ce" seemed to him to be somewhat true.

However, this "appreciation" does not refer to liking, but rather to ability.

So how could he not visit the person in question?

......

At this very moment, Baili Ce, one of the parties involved, was picking his toes in frustration.

On the one hand, the schedule for encouraging farmers to engage in sericulture was approaching, but there was still no news of Baili Ming's arrival in Beijing.

Meanwhile, certain forces in the capital were already stirring with activity; otherwise, those messy rumors wouldn't have been able to spread.

But this is strange.

Based on all that has happened before, Lu Jian has the ability to control these comments, and he can do so very quickly. Why can't he do it this time?

Meanwhile, news came from their spies in Thorn City.

This year, the three cities are in exceptionally chaotic condition, and have been experiencing drought for several months.

In addition, there are frequent incidents of falling rocks injuring people or causing murder for money, so to ensure safety, it is still necessary to find someone you know to guide you.

Without a doubt, this acquaintance must be from the Wang family of Lincheng.

Is this what they call a sense of destiny?

There's no escaping it.

She had sent three invitations, both openly and secretly, and had also given him many valuable gifts, but Wang Qingyan still refused to help. She couldn't very well go to his door and kneel down to beg him, could she?

"Young lady..."

Just then, someone came to report, "The head of the Wang family has come to visit."

Hmm? Suddenly, Baili Ce stopped being angry.

wrong......

After thinking about it, she felt a little melancholy. This person probably wasn't here to make fun of her.

But a dignified family head shouldn't be... as bored as her?

But why did this person suddenly agree to see her again, and even personally visit her?

"Young lady?"

After careful consideration, Baili Ce decided to go and meet them. "Please invite the Wang family to 'Pengle Pavilion,' I will be there shortly."

......

Although women can manage a household just as well as men, or even better, they still retain certain feminine habits in subtle ways.

For example, Baili Ce really loved flowers and plants, and eating and drinking.

Therefore, as Wang Qingyan walked in, the road was lined with colorful flowers and various fruit-bearing trees.

From hibiscus to wild berries, from black mulberries to white morning glories, except for those that simply couldn't be grown, Wang Qingyan had seen and heard of every flower and tree he could find in Baili Prefecture.

Unlike wealthy families who would often hang calligraphy and paintings by famous artists in their homes, the walls throughout Baili Prefecture were covered with family rules and precepts.

Once inside Pengle Pavilion, apart from the white camellias in the corners and the ivy (Winter ivy) hanging from the roof to the windows, there was no other decoration.

It was so simple that Wang Qingyan wanted to decorate her pure white walls with something.

"Please have some tea, Master Wang. The young lady will be here shortly."

"Thank you for your trouble"

Just as Bi Cui was about to leave after serving tea and snacks, Wang Qingyan asked, "Does your young lady usually live such a simple life?"

"In reply to Patriarch Wang, that's not the case."

Bi Cui gently told him that Bai Li Ce was not pretending to be poor.

"But the young lady has never found anything special about the calligraphy and paintings of famous artists."

Bai Li Ce's original words—

I'm not interested in those paintings and calligraphy, so why should I buy them?

It's useless after I bought it. It turns yellow and fades after hanging for a long time. Not to mention that it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain. The key point is that it's very expensive.

With that money, wouldn't I have used it to buy more land and cultivate more informants and talent to protect myself?

Planting flowers, grass, and trees can beautify the environment, uplift your mood, harvest fruit, and share happiness with others. What else can you do with a few old paintings and calligraphy pieces besides hanging them on the wall to collect dust?

What? Just for show?

My Baili family is large and powerful. Do I need to use a few paintings to save face like some people do?

Cultivating one's character? With such noble virtues, do I need to cultivate myself?

Wang Qingyan remained silent for a long time after hearing this.