Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

Han Fei paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass, and then fell silent for a moment.

"Hahahahaha!"

Han Fei suddenly raised his head and burst into an extremely hearty and unrestrained laugh.

"You're right!" Han Fei's eyes shone brightly at that moment, like the most brilliant star in the night sky, radiating a resolute and arrogant determination to go against the tide. "I know this is a dead end, I know that ahead lies a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, an abyss, but I, Han Fei, will still jump!"

He downed the priceless "Orchid Wine" in one gulp, letting a few drops of the clear liquid slide down his lips and drip onto his purple brocade robe, spreading out in a dark blue hue.

"Because I am a prince of Korea! Because in this world, someone always has to challenge that seemingly unshakeable wall! No matter how dark Ji Wuye's 'night curtain' is, it cannot obscure this bright and clear world! Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will tear open a hole in this darkness and let the sunlight shine into this corrupt court!"

"A tribute to your...moth drawn to a flame."

Li Chengze smiled faintly, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

For the rest of the time, the two never discussed the intrigues and power struggles of the court again, nor did they mention the chilling "ghost soldiers robbing the payroll" case. They were like two old friends who had known each other for many years, raising their cups and discussing the past and present in the elegant Zilan Pavilion.

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky and the two jugs of top-grade "orchid wine" were empty that Han Fei, slightly drunk, swayed as he stood up.

"Brother Li, drinking with you today is truly one of life's greatest pleasures. It's just a pity that I have important matters to attend to and cannot continue to enjoy myself with you." Han Fei straightened his slightly disheveled clothes. Although his eyes were tinged with drunkenness, they revealed a sharpness that was about to lead him to the battlefield.

Li Chengze remained seated, not rising to see him off, but simply said, "Brother Han, your departure marks your true entry into the vortex of power. Swords have no eyes, and the human heart is even more venomous; be careful in everything you do."

"Thank you for your kind words, Brother Li." Han Fei waved his hand casually. "Once I've solved this case of the ghost soldiers and obtained the position of Minister of Justice, I'll come back to this Purple Orchid Pavilion and treat Brother Li to the finest wine!"

After saying that, Han Fei turned around and strode out of the private room. His purple figure, stretched by the sunlight, appeared somewhat aloof, yet full of unstoppable power.

Li Chengze sat alone in the empty private room, toying with the empty white jade wine cup in his hand. His gaze was directed through the open window at the majestic yet lifeless Korean royal palace in the center of Xinzheng City.

"The grand show is about to begin."

……

The next day, early morning.

The main hall of the Korean royal palace.

The dull tolling of the bell echoed across the empty square, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

The civil and military officials stood on both sides, their heads bowed, silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to even breathe.

On the throne, King An of Han's face was ashen, and his already somewhat frail body trembled slightly with extreme anger. He stared intently at Zhang Kaidi, the Prime Minister of Han, who stood in the center of the hall, drenched in cold sweat.

"Prime Minister Zhang!" King Han An slammed his hand on the armrest of his throne with a loud bang, startling all the ministers. "Ten thousand taels of military pay have vanished without a trace, and five presiding judges have died under mysterious circumstances! Now the entire city of Xinzheng is buzzing with rumors that it's the ghost soldiers of Zheng who are taking lives! I entrusted this case to you, and this is how you repay me?!"

Zhang Kaidi, the old prime minister who had served five generations of Han kings and was highly respected in the Han court, now looked extremely old and haggard.

He knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This old minister is incompetent and has failed to uncover the truth; I deserve to die! But... but this case is far too bizarre. Apart from the charred corpses and the totems of ghost soldiers, there are no other clues at the scene. This old minister... this old minister truly has no way to investigate!"

"Nowhere to investigate? What a fine excuse!" King Han An laughed angrily. "Could it be that my 100,000 taels of gold were really stolen by a ghost?! As the Prime Minister, the head of all officials, you can't even handle this simple matter. What use are you to me?!"

Faced with the King of Han's furious rage, Zhang Kai was sweating profusely, yet he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. He knew he had been forced to the brink of disaster.

Just then, at the very front of the military ranks, a figure as imposing as an iron tower slowly stepped forward.

With his movement, an extremely intense and terrifying killing intent, as if crawling out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, instantly swept across the entire hall. The surrounding civil officials even felt their breath catch in their throats and subconsciously took a half step back.

This man was none other than Ji Wuye, the great general of the State of Han!

Ji Wuye wore a dark gold heavy armor, with the greatsword "Yachi," a symbol of supreme power, hanging at his waist. His fleshy face bore a hideous scar, and his eyes, as sinister as a vulture's, looked down at Zhang Kaidi kneeling on the ground, a cruel and mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Your Majesty, please calm down." Ji Wuye's voice was as hoarse and grating as a broken gong, yet it carried an undeniable domineering air. "Prime Minister Zhang is, after all, advanced in years and lacking in energy. It is understandable that he could not investigate such a bizarre case."

On the surface, Ji Wuye was pleading for Zhang Kaidi, but in reality, every word he said was like a knife stabbing Zhang Kaidi in the heart.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the trembling officials in the hall, before continuing with a cold smile, "However, this 100,000 taels of military pay is of paramount importance; the soldiers at the border are waiting for this money to save their lives. Since Prime Minister Zhang cannot find the answer, perhaps… this humble general should take over the case. My soldiers, though they may not be experts at solving cases, will certainly not hesitate to use their swords against those charlatans who feign supernatural abilities!"

The moment Ji Wuye uttered these words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Everyone knows that this "ghost soldiers robbing the pay" case is most likely a staged drama orchestrated by Ji Wuye behind the scenes.

His current initiative to volunteer is merely a means to seize the 100,000 taels of gold for himself, while simultaneously eliminating dissidents and completely crushing Zhang Kaidi, the only old minister in the court who could still barely contend with him.

If Ji Wuye takes over this case, Zhang Kaidi will surely die, and the Korean court will be completely dominated by Ji Wuye!

Zhang Kai suddenly raised his head, staring intently at Ji Wuye, his eyes filled with despair and anger. He knew Ji Wuye's sinister intentions, but he was powerless to refute them. Because he truly couldn't solve the case.

King An of Han looked down at the aggressive Ji Wuye, a deep sense of fear and helplessness flashing in his eyes. Although he was the king, the military power of Han was firmly in Ji Wuye's hands.

"What the General says... makes sense." King Han An sighed, a hint of compromise in his tone. "In that case, then this case..."

"Your Majesty, please wait!"