Joy of Life: The melon-eating prince sees through Fan Xian's fake death

Chapter 57 I'm here, you shouldn't come
Li Chengze prided himself on being smart, but he couldn't figure out no matter how hard he tried, why just after he sent Xie Bian to Jingzhao Prefecture to arrange Fan Wujiu's plan, Li Chengqian arrived and saw through all his plans?

He wasn't like this before!

Even if he was pretending to be stupid, he couldn't be that smart, right?
Unless someone is helping him behind the scenes. Li Chengze looked at his brother with increasingly cold eyes. When he saw Fan Ruoruo beside Li Chengqian, he vaguely understood one thing: perhaps it was the resourceful Fan Xian who was giving him advice.

Is Fan Ruoruo just a tool to convey messages?

Li Chengze was filled with resentment. He had asked His Majesty to grant marriage to Prince Hongcheng of his faction over Fan Ruoruo, but how come the Crown Prince snatched it away?
"Jingzhao Prefecture is not yours, Your Highness, you are so arrogant!"

Li Chengqian smiled and shook his head:
"Since you can reach into Jingzhao Prefecture, as the crown prince, shouldn't it be my responsibility to reach further than you?"

Li Chengze asked sinisterly, "How did you find out? Who told you? Was it her?"

The second prince had lost several times in a row, and he was already paranoid and confused, like a frustrated gambler in an Australian casino, with red and blurry eyes and couldn't see clearly. Li Chengqian protected Fan Ruoruo behind him:
"This matter has nothing to do with her. You should first take care of your guards."

"What did you do to my guard?"

Li Chengze was extremely angry. Not only did he see through his plan, he also threatened him with his most reliable confidant. Li Chengqian was challenging his bottom line. He repeatedly stepped on his face and ravaged it on the ground.
"nothing."

Li Chengqian took Fan Ruoruo by the hand and prepared to leave: "He is a ninth-rank swordsman after all. I won't do anything to him. I just remind him that there are some things he shouldn't do and some people he shouldn't follow."

"Forget it. Xie Bian is not with you. Be careful and don't get assassinated."

After the two of them left, Li Chengze went crazy and smashed everything on the table:
"Li Chengqian, you finally stopped playing dumb, right?"

·······
Jingzhao Mansion.

Xie Bian came here on the orders of the Second Prince, to give some advice to Fan Wujiu who was imprisoned, and to give him a book. Of course, there was also a packet of deadly poison inside the book. He came here just to make Fan Wujiu say what he should say, and not say what he shouldn't say:

"Let me in."

"Yes."

The spy planted by the Second Prince in Jingzhao Prefecture played a role. Not only did he temporarily transfer the guards leading to the prison, but he also opened the highly guarded cell of Fan Wujiu for him. This was something that Li Chengze's highest-level spy could do. Even if there was a risk of being exposed, he had to use it at this time.
Xie Bian did not carry a sword when he entered Jingzhao Prefecture. One reason was to hide his identity from others, and the other was that there was no need. From the time he arrived here to the time he appeared in front of Fan Wujiu, everything had been arranged for him by the Second Prince, so there would be no accidents.

In the prison, Fan Wujiu sat cross-legged on the ground, his side bangs covering half of his face. He closed his eyes and rested until he heard Xie Bian's footsteps. He then raised his head:

"You came?"

"I am coming."

"You shouldn't have come." Fan Wujiu shook his head and sighed.

"What do you mean?"

Xie Bian frowned and looked around vigilantly, sensing a powerful aura hidden in the darkness of the cell, until a figure in red slowly walked out from behind him, holding a phoenix-shaped looping long sword decorated with cinnabar, and pointed at him.

Luan Hongyu had no expression on her face and said coldly: "You are here after all"

Xie Bian crossed his arms across his chest and said disdainfully, "Eighth rank?"

"Your Highness, is there no one available?"

"You can try to see if I can be of any use to you."

Luan Hongyu held a long sword in her hand, and a true Qi strength far beyond that of an ordinary eighth-grade Qi burst out of her body. She was wearing a flowing red dress that fluttered in the wind. With unpredictable steps, she madly approached Xie Bian and stabbed him with a simple and unpretentious sword.

"Weak!" Xie Bian snorted coldly, and concentrated the sword intent on his fingertips, trying to clamp the sword. However, Luan Hongyu's sword tip strangely changed direction, like a vicious and insidious poisonous snake, stabbing the man where he was most unprepared.

"mean!"

Xie Bian could only step back to avoid this sword which was stronger than the eighth rank. Just as he was about to fight back, more powerful auras emerged from behind him. A group of people in black had been waiting here for a long time, some of them were of the seventh and eighth rank.

Even the old man at the end has reached the ninth rank.
Xie Bian knew that he had no way to retreat, and even with a sword it would be difficult to break out of the encirclement, so he could only raise his hands and surrender.

Luan Hongyu was not happy about the victory, but calmly ordered: "Capture him and wait for His Highness' orders."

"Yes!"

The men in black responded in unison, escorting Xie Bian out and handing him over to the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture, convicting him of trespassing and imprisoning him in the prison, awaiting punishment. This was Li Chengqian's decision after weighing the pros and cons, as he wanted to protect the prisoner but not reach out too far.

When Luan Hongyu put away her sword and prepared to leave, Fan Wujiu rushed forward from the prison, grabbed the railing and asked in confusion: "What are you going to do to me? What's going on now? Tell me!"

Fan Wujiu knew that he was doomed and might become a victim of the fight between the princes and would never have the chance to take part in the imperial examination again. His hopes were shattered, but before he died, the appearance of Xie Bian gave him a chance to turn things around.

Even if I die, I must die knowingly.
Luan Hongyu walked up to him and handed several sage books to Fan Wujiu, who was stunned:
"What do you mean? How did you know I wanted to read?"

"When His Royal Highness is free, he will come to see you."

Luan Hongyu turned around and left, remembering that she had one more thing to say: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that if you want to survive to participate in the Spring Examination, you should be honest and think about which path to take next. Only if you think clearly and make the right choice can you survive."

After Luan Hongyu left, Fan Wujiu was alone in the prison cell, holding the sage book with trembling hands: "Imperial examination, Spring Examination, living. Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Second Prince, what should I do? Should I live?"

······
In the carriage, Li Chengqian and Fan Ruoruo had a long conversation. He analyzed the situation for his girlfriend:
"The Second Prince's original plan was to send Xie Bian to inform Fan Wujiu of the whole story and ask him to change his statement and admit that he was the one who broke into Baoyue Tower, either to rape her or to rob her of her money. Anyway, he accidentally ran into me who was also there."

Fan Ruoruo pursed her lips and said, "Who would believe such a crude statement?"

Li Chengqian shook his head: "I don't need others to believe it. As long as Fan Wujiu said this, the Second Prince would let Fan Wujiu die before others can confirm this testimony. From then on, the final conclusion can only be made, leaving only the testimony."

Fan Ruoruo suddenly realized: "Li Chengze wants the gecko to cut off its tail in order to protect himself?"

Li Chengqian nodded: "But I won't let him succeed easily. Even if Your Majesty doesn't investigate this matter with him, I must learn some cruel methods and get some evidence against my second brother. I will use it as a trump card when we confront each other in the court one day."

"Besides."

Fan Ruoruo was curious: "What else?"

Li Chengqian took a deep breath: "Baoyue Tower's influence on me has not ended. Although I have legitimate reasons to win over my second brother in the court, the impact of this incident on the people is still negative. Who would believe that the prince appeared in Baoyue Tower in the middle of the night for something other than that?"

"I believe!"

Fan Ruoruo took Li Chengqian's hand and asked worriedly, "What should we do next?"

"Don't worry." Li Chengqian held Fan Ruoruo's hand in his, soft and fluffy like a ball of boneless, soft and delicate cotton: "I need to find a legitimate reason for myself to appear in Baoyue Tower, and I have also arranged such a person as an insider."

"Who?" Fan Ruoruo was curious and a little jealous.

The traitor in Baoyue Tower must be the courtesan, right?
"Miss Sangwen."

Li Chengqian noticed Fan Ruoruo's expression and added, "Oh, she is your brother's fan girl and really admires the poetry of little Fan Shixian."

Fan Ruoruo breathed a sigh of relief. It's just related to my brother, so it's okay.
(End of this chapter)