This remark inexplicably struck a nerve, and He Jiuniang couldn't help but laugh.

Lou Chong and the others chimed in with laughter, "Yeah, boss, you're already a third-rank official, you have to give us some opportunities, right?"

Lu Baichuan knew that they just didn't want him to go on the mission injured, so he smiled and said, "Alright, then let's do as I said. Don't follow him for now, let him lower his guard, and then find an opportunity to catch him in the act."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"In addition, the Gao family is the one we need to keep an eye on. They are the richest family in Jingzhou. If they really have any intention of rebelling, we need to deal with them as soon as possible and not give them a chance to develop."

...

They started talking about serious matters, and He Jiuniang felt that this had nothing to do with her anymore, so she made an excuse to go to the kitchen to have someone make milk tea and left quickly.

As soon as he left, Qin Jian punched him on the shoulder: "You're something else! If you had told me earlier, would you have had to suffer so much?"

Lu Baichuan knew he owed Qin Jian an explanation for this matter, so he willingly took the blame before saying, "I have my reasons, I'm worried..."

"Alright, there's no point in saying all this now. As long as you've found your family, that's all that matters."

Qin Jian interrupted him. Actually, he was just angry that his good brother didn't tell him about his family. But after calming down and thinking about it, he realized it wasn't a big deal. If it were him, he probably wouldn't tell either. Their identities were dangerous, and keeping their identities from their families was the best protection for them.

He continued, "I have another important matter to discuss. His Highness summoned me to the capital this time, firstly to discuss Lin Yiping's matter, and secondly because that Master is not simple either. I mentioned this to you in my previous letter; this Master's identity is not simple."

Some things cannot be clearly explained in letters, and even if they could be explained, there is always the fear of being intercepted. Therefore, most of the time, only half of what is said is told, and only in person can a more complete explanation be made.

"The Taoist master's name is Daoping. He is two hundred years old this year. He has white hair and a youthful face. He is in good spirits and has a strong body. He claims that he prolongs his life by cultivating immortal pills. The emperor was so fooled that he stopped taking the golden pills he had been taking and started taking the immortal pills given to him by the Taoist master Daoping."

"His Highness inquired with the Imperial Concubine, who stated that when she was serving His Majesty his medicine, she noticed a strong, bloody odor emanating from the pills. His Majesty was aware of this, but he pretended not to know and never inquired about the origin of this elixir..."

Even without Qin Jian saying it, it's clear that the emperor was pretending to be stupid. He knew that the elixir had an unknown origin and even involved human lives, yet he still acted like a fool. How could he be the kind of ruler of a country?

Lu Baichuan clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in anger.

He asked, "What does Your Highness think?"

"What else can we say? His Highness went to the palace to pay homage to the Emperor and told him not to listen to the slander of the sorcerer. The Emperor not only refused to listen but also became furious, making His Highness kneel for an entire day. He was also ridiculed by the Crown Prince and several other princes. Prince Lin also thought that His Highness was right and offered a few words of advice to the Emperor, but it was all in vain."

Qin Jian sighed and continued, "Our prince is already out of favor. I really don't understand why he would go. It's pointless for him to go; he'll only be punished. Isn't he just asking for trouble?"

He advised Prince Chen not to go, but Prince Chen insisted on going, even after being punished. When he returned, Prince Chen happily hosted a banquet to welcome him back.

Qin Jian didn't understand and was deeply shocked.

Lu Baichuan thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness did it on purpose."

No one would willingly walk into a trap to be punished, and Prince Chen is not the kind of fool who has no cunning at all. On the contrary, the fact that he has been able to expand his power so much and have so many talented people under his command shows that he is cunning enough to support his ambition.

This was one of the reasons he decided to follow Prince Chen.

"What?"

Qin Jian was somewhat incredulous; he still couldn't understand why.

Lu Baichuan explained, "His Highness is winning over the hearts of the people and preparing for the future."

Whether a dynasty can last long depends mainly on whether the people can live and work in peace and contentment. The old emperor's disregard for the people's livelihood is a sure sign that the dynasty will not last long.

With the next emperor ascending the throne, several princes were eyeing the throne covetously, and Prince Chen wanted to seize the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the hearts of the people.

After all, nobody's a fool; why would anyone rush to accept punishment?

Qin Jian belatedly realized why, despite having followed His Highness since childhood, he hadn't risen in rank as quickly as Lu Baichuan. Firstly, it was because he lacked ability, and secondly, it was because he wasn't smart enough to understand His Highness's thoughts.

Lu Baichuan didn't dwell on the matter too much, but instead brought up the women at Danzhu Tower again.

"That brothel is not as simple as it seems. Currently, the women who can come out to greet customers in Jingzhou are all their own people. They gather all sorts of information about the city, abduct innocent women, torture them by drawing their blood, and sell them to brothels in other places. A large number of them have even been sold to Dongting."

"Currently, it seems that the people in the Taoist temple and Danzhu Tower are all Dao Ping Zhenren's people, which means they are all from Dongting. They have been in Beiyan for many years and dare to provoke His Highness under his nose. Firstly, they want to test His Highness's abilities, and secondly, they want to sow discord between His Highness and the Emperor. If their secret is exposed one day, they can implicate His Highness and let the Emperor wipe them all out."

This is a strategy of killing two birds with one stone.

In Bei Yan, the only one who can be relied upon is Prince Chen. Once the emperor starts targeting Prince Chen and takes back the power in his hands, it will give the Eastern Court a good opportunity to attack. At that time, Bei Yan will surely be defeated, and the Eastern Court will be able to take the opportunity to annex Bei Yan and rapidly expand its own territory.

"These Dongting people are too hateful! I'm going to kill them right now!"

Qin Jian was furious. If that sorcerer were just an ordinary Taoist, it wouldn't be a problem, but he was clearly from Dongting, which crossed the line for all of them.

This is a spy!

"Come back! What's the point of killing them now? You'll just destroy all the evidence!"

Lu Baichuan grabbed him, his tone filled with annoyance.

The reason I didn't tell him about his family was because I knew he couldn't keep his composure.

They haven't made any progress over the years.

Qin Jian smacked his lips a couple of times, calming down considerably, and then asked, "So, does that mean that sorcerer wasn't actually two hundred years old?"

"Nonsense," Lu Baichuan glared at him, "Have you ever really seen anyone who's two hundred years old and still alive and kicking? Have you forgotten that Lin Yiping is someone who can wear two masks?"