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

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"Your subject is here." Li Chengze finally stopped examining the floor tiles, lazily raised his head, and put on his signature smile, which seemed respectful but was actually perfunctory.

"They're giving me a headache with all their noise." Emperor Qing's tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Tell me yourself, what did you do at the West Market yesterday?"

Li Chengze blinked, pulled a hand out from his sleeve, and shook a finger, saying earnestly, "Your Majesty, I did indeed go to eat candied hawthorns yesterday."

The courtiers were in uproar.

Guo Zheng's face lit up with joy, and he was about to speak when Li Chengze continued, "Those candied hawthorns cost three copper coins a skewer, but there are only five hawthorns, one less than last year. The old man selling the candied hawthorns said that there was little rain this year, resulting in a poor hawthorn harvest, and the price of sugar has also gone up. I was thinking that even a small candied hawthorn is affected by the weather, so shouldn't the Ministry of Revenue's tax revenue also be adjusted appropriately according to the year's harvest?"

After saying that, he glanced at the Minister of Revenue with a half-smile.

The Minister of Revenue broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness... Your Highness is right."

Emperor Qing looked at Li Chengze, a fleeting smile in his eyes before he regained his inscrutable expression.

"Alright."

Emperor Qing waved his hand as if shooing away flies. "You're one of a kind when you can find a reason to collect taxes from eating a candied hawthorn. However, as a prince, you should still be mindful of your actions. As punishment, you must bring me a skewer as well. I want to taste what this three-coin candied hawthorn tastes like."

These words shocked the entire court!

Is this punishment? This is clearly blatant indulgence!

The prince swayed violently, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Lin Ruofu's pupils contracted slightly, and he sighed inwardly: This second prince is even more favored than I imagined.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Li Chengze's lips curled up into a radiant smile as he bowed deeply.

"Court adjourned!"

The eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out.

Li Chengze straightened up, and under the varied gazes of the assembled officials, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave. As he passed the Crown Prince, he paused slightly and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Your Highness, if you want to impeach me next time, remember to find a smarter censor. Guo Zheng... is too noisy."

Crown Prince Li Chengqian froze abruptly, his already gloomy face turning even darker. He clenched his teeth tightly, his cheeks bulging out in a ridge, but ultimately couldn't utter a single word.

At the entrance of this grand hall, under the watchful eyes of everyone, if he were to actually argue with the second prince like a shrew from the marketplace, he would only be losing face as the crown prince.

"snort!"

Li Chengqian let out a heavy, cold snort, flicked his sleeves sharply, creating a gust of wind, and without even glancing at Li Chengze, strode angrily away towards the East Palace. His retreating figure exuded an air of utter frustration and disarray.

Watching the Crown Prince's departing figure, Li Chengze's smile deepened. He slowly stretched and then swayed as he walked out of the palace.

……

Inside the Imperial Study.

Emperor Qing remained half-reclined on the couch, tapping the jade ruyi in his hand against his palm intermittently.

Eunuch Hou bowed and took small steps to Emperor Qing's side. He lowered his voice and vividly recounted the scene that had just unfolded at the entrance of the main hall, word for word. He included the Second Prince's light, mocking remark and the Crown Prince's ashen face.

After listening to the report, a playful smile slowly appeared on Emperor Qing's usually calm face.

"That little monkey's mouth is getting more and more venomous."

Emperor Qing chuckled, his tone devoid of any reproach, but rather tinged with amusement at the spectacle. "Chengqian's temperament is still too hasty. He lost his composure after being provoked by the Second Prince. He still needs to practice."

Eunuch Hou lowered his head, not daring to respond. He understood the whetstone theory between the father and son in the Tian family, but he dared not utter a word about it.

"Since the second prince said he ate candied hawthorns to understand the people's plight and even thought of taxation..." Emperor Qing sat up straight and casually tossed the jade ruyi onto the table. "Then reward him."

"By imperial decree, the Second Prince Li Chengze is devoted to the nation. Even while living among commoners, he does not forget the affairs of state. His keen insight and keen observation greatly please me. I hereby bestow upon him ten bolts of tribute silk from Nanqing, a pair of luminous cups from the Western Regions, and two boxes of specially made pastries from the Imperial Kitchen."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Hou's eyelids twitched slightly.

This reason... is even more far-fetched than the Second Prince eating candied hawthorns! But the reward is real, especially the luminous cup, which is a rare item that His Majesty usually can't bear to use.

"This old servant obeys the decree," Eunuch Hou replied respectfully and withdrew.

Emperor Qing lay back down on the couch, his gaze fixed on the void, a deep, unfathomable smile playing on his lips: "The sharper the whetstone, the faster the knife can be sharpened..."

……

The Eastern Palace.

"Snapped!"

A beautiful blue-and-white porcelain teacup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces instantly, and scalding hot tea splashed all over the floor.

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

Li Chengqian paced back and forth in the main hall, his chest heaving violently, his handsome face slightly distorted with anger.

Li Chengqian paced back and forth in the main hall, his chest heaving violently, his handsome face slightly distorted with anger.

The palace maids and eunuchs inside the hall were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, trembling and not daring to breathe.

Just then, a young eunuch rushed in, knelt down, and cried, "Your...Your Highness..."

"What is it now?!" Li Chengqian suddenly stopped and roared.

The young eunuch trembled with fear and stammered, "Your Highness, news just came from the palace that His Majesty...His Majesty sent a reward to the Second Prince."

"A reward?" Li Chengqian was taken aback, then laughed angrily. "Because of what? Because he caused trouble in court?"

"His Majesty's decree says... that the Second Prince is devoted to the country and can see the big picture from small details..." The little eunuch's voice grew softer and softer, as if he wanted to bury his head in the ground.

"Concerned about the nation's well-being? Insightful observation? Ha! Hahahaha!"

Li Chengqian laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, but his laughter was filled with desolation and resentment. He slumped into a chair, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands, his nails almost digging into the wood.

He worked diligently in the Eastern Palace every day, treading on thin ice, afraid of making even the slightest mistake. He often worked through the night to handle state affairs. But what he received in return was the Emperor's indifference and reprimands.

And what about Li Chengze?

He idled away his days, neglecting his duties, running around barefoot, and even openly mocking court officials in the main hall. And what was the result? Not only was he not punished, but he was even rewarded!

What is this?! What on earth is this?!

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, the anger in his eyes gradually transforming into a deep bitterness and resentment. He stared in the direction of the Second Prince's residence, gritting his teeth as he forced out a sour remark:

"That Li Chengze guy... he really does have Father Emperor's favor!"